What is the intended use of the Bulk API?

The Bulk API is specifically designed to handle the import and export of large volumes of data efficiently. Its primary use case is to facilitate operations involving large datasets, making it particularly well-suited for scenarios where more than a few hundred thousand records need to be processed. This capability is crucial for organizations that need to migrate large amounts of data or perform batch updates that exceed the limitations of other Salesforce APIs, such as the REST or SOAP APIs, which typically are better suited for smaller data transactions.

By utilizing the Bulk API, users can optimize their data management tasks and significantly reduce the time it takes to conduct large-scale operations. The API allows for asynchronous processing, meaning that users can submit batches of records and the system handles them in the background, allowing other processes to continue without delay.

In contrast, other options address scenarios that don't align with the strengths of the Bulk API, such as small data imports, synchronous processing, or real-time updates, which are better suited for different types of API integrations. Hence, the correct answer emphasizes the Bulk API's ability to manage large datasets effectively.