---
name: api-design-principles-8e89a9a6ca86
description: "Master REST and GraphQL API design principles to build intuitive, scalable, and maintainable APIs that delight developers and stand the test of time."
risk: safe
source: community
date_added: "2026-02-27"
---

# API Design Principles

Master REST and GraphQL API design principles to build intuitive, scalable, and maintainable APIs that delight developers and stand the test of time.

## Use this skill when

- Designing new REST or GraphQL APIs
- Refactoring existing APIs for better usability
- Establishing API design standards for your team
- Reviewing API specifications before implementation
- Migrating between API paradigms (REST to GraphQL, etc.)
- Creating developer-friendly API documentation
- Optimizing APIs for specific use cases (mobile, third-party integrations)

## Do not use this skill when

- You only need implementation guidance for a specific framework
- You are doing infrastructure-only work without API contracts
- You cannot change or version public interfaces

## Instructions

1. Define consumers, use cases, and constraints.
2. Choose API style and model resources or types.
3. Specify errors, versioning, pagination, and auth strategy.
4. Validate with examples and review for consistency.

Refer to `resources/implementation-playbook.md` for detailed patterns, checklists, and templates.

## Resources

- `resources/implementation-playbook.md` for detailed patterns, checklists, and templates.


---
Source attribution: cocyuhao
Original project: https://github.com/cocyuhao/ai-dev-tooling-research-archive/blob/f4a24bd1ab047411d4ae57ee9a96701a7706e779/claude-code-templates/cli-tool/components/skills/development/api-design-principles/SKILL.md
License: MIT
License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit
Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Mega AI Hub.

## Upstream license notice

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2025 Daniel (San) Ávila

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.

## Additional upstream notices

api-design-principles-8e89a9a6ca86/DAVEAI-UPSTREAM-NOTICE.md

# Third-party Research Archive Notice

This repository is a personal learning and research archive. It may contain copied third-party projects or excerpts for study, comparison, and interview discussion.

All original copyrights, licenses, README files, and ownership notices belong to their original authors. Content in this archive should not be interpreted as original work by this GitHub account unless a specific file explicitly says so.


# Mega AI Hub resource metadata

Creator / publisher: cocyuhao
Original project: https://github.com/cocyuhao/ai-dev-tooling-research-archive/blob/f4a24bd1ab047411d4ae57ee9a96701a7706e779/claude-code-templates/cli-tool/components/skills/development/api-design-principles/SKILL.md
Attribution basis: Source repository record

Fields of work: Development & Engineering, Product Management
Roles: Backend Developer, Data Engineer, Growth Product Manager, Product Manager, Technical Product Manager
Specialties: API, Backend, Cross Platform
Tools: Tool not specified
Country applicability: Country not specified
Classification basis: Source catalog labels
Instruction SHA-256: 42fe1c2426380a7476c9055da975f9b8de92058f7706c0e01f28a13f8ceb1e7f