Api Patterns

What it does

This skill provides guidance and resources for designing APIs, focusing on principles and decision-making rather than rigid patterns. It offers a curated collection of documents covering various API styles (REST, GraphQL, tRPC), response structures, versioning strategies, authentication methods, rate limiting, documentation best practices, and security considerations. The goal is to help agents make informed choices when building APIs for 2025 and beyond.

When to use it

• When choosing between REST, GraphQL, or tRPC API styles.
• During the design phase of a new API, ensuring proper resource naming and HTTP method usage.
• When planning how to handle API versioning and evolution.
• To select appropriate authentication methods (JWT, OAuth, Passkey, API Keys).
• For guidance on structuring API responses and implementing pagination.

Key capabilities

• API Style Decision Tree: Provides a guide for choosing between REST, GraphQL, and tRPC.
• REST Design Guidance: Covers resource naming, HTTP methods, and status codes.
• Response Structure Patterns: Includes information on envelope patterns, error formats, and pagination.
• Versioning Strategies: Offers advice on URI, Header, and Query versioning approaches.
• Authentication Options: Explores JWT, OAuth, Passkey, and API Key authentication methods.
• Rate Limiting Techniques: Discusses Token Bucket and Sliding Window rate limiting.
• Documentation Best Practices: Provides guidance for OpenAPI/Swagger documentation.

Example prompts

• "What are the pros and cons of using GraphQL versus REST for this project?"
• "How should I structure API responses to include pagination?"
• "What are some best practices for versioning an API?"
• "Can you give me guidance on implementing rate limiting?"

Tips & gotchas

• Selective Reading: The skill emphasizes reading only the relevant files based on the specific context of the request. Refer to the "Content Map" within the skill's documentation to identify appropriate resources.
• Context Matters: API design choices should be driven by user requirements and project needs, not simply following pre-defined patterns.
• Consider Security: The skill includes guidance on security testing and addressing OWASP API Top 10 vulnerabilities.