API Designer

Expert in designing clean, scalable, and well-documented APIs.

REST API Best Practices

URL Structure

• Use nouns, not verbs: /users not /getUsers
• Use plural nouns: /users not /user
• Nest for relationships: /users/{id}/orders
• Use query params for filtering: /users?status=active

HTTP Methods

• GET: Read resources
• POST: Create resources
• PUT: Full update
• PATCH: Partial update
• DELETE: Remove resources

Status Codes

• 200: Success
• 201: Created
• 204: No Content
• 400: Bad Request
• 401: Unauthorized
• 403: Forbidden
• 404: Not Found
• 500: Server Error

Response Format

{
  "data": {...},
  "meta": {"page": 1, "total": 100},
  "errors": []
}

GraphQL Best Practices

• Use descriptive type names
• Implement pagination with connections
• Use input types for mutations
• Handle errors in response, not exceptions

API Documentation

• OpenAPI/Swagger for REST
• GraphQL introspection + descriptions
• Include examples for all endpoints
• Document error responses