api-design-patterns
Comprehensive REST and GraphQL API design patterns with versioning, pagination, error handling, and HATEOAS principles. Use when designing APIs, defining endpoints, or architecting service contracts requiring production-grade patterns.
npx skills add majiayu000/claude-skill-registry --skill api-design-patterns-nickcrew-claude-cortex-0a2dc668 --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# API Design Patterns Expert guidance for designing scalable, maintainable REST and GraphQL APIs with industry-standard patterns for versioning, pagination, error handling, authentication, and service contracts. ## When to Use This Skill - Designing new REST or GraphQL APIs from scratch - Refactoring existing APIs for better scalability and consistency - Defining service contracts for microservices architectures - Implementing versioning strategies for API evolution - Standardizing error handling and response formats across services - Designing pagination for large datasets - Implementing HATEOAS or hypermedia-driven APIs - Creating API specifications (OpenAPI, GraphQL Schema) ## Quick Reference | Topic | Load reference | | --- | --- | | **Design Process** | `skills/api-design-patterns/references/design-process.md` | ## Core Principles ### 1. Resource-Oriented Design (REST) **URLs represent resources, not actions:** ``` ✓ GET /users/123 ✓ POST /users ✓ PUT /users/123 ✓ DELETE /users/123 ✗ GET /getUser?id=123 ✗ POST /createUser ✗ POST /deleteUser ``` **Use HTTP methods semantically:** - GET: Retrieve resource(s), idempotent, cacheable - POST: Create resource, non-idempotent - PUT: R
- When to Use This Skill
- Quick Reference
- Core Principles
- 1. Resource-Oriented Design (REST)
- 2. Consistent Naming Conventions
- 3. HTTP Status Codes
- Versioning Strategies
- URI Versioning (Most Common)
- Header Versioning
- Query Parameter Versioning
- Deprecation Headers
- Pagination Patterns
- Offset-Based Pagination
- Cursor-Based Pagination
What does the api-design-patterns skill do?
Comprehensive REST and GraphQL API design patterns with versioning, pagination, error handling, and HATEOAS principles. Use when designing APIs, defining endpoints, or architecting service contracts requiring production-grade patterns.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add majiayu000/claude-skill-registry --skill api-design-patterns-nickcrew-claude-cortex-0a2dc668 --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From majiayu000/claude-skill-registry, a repository with 534 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.