Master REST and GraphQL API design principles to build intuitive, scalable, and maintainable APIs that delight developers. Use when designing new APIs, reviewing API specifications, or establishing API design standards.
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What the file says
# 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.
## When to Use This Skill
- 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)
## Core Concepts
### 1. RESTful Design Principles
**Resource-Oriented Architecture**
- Resources are nouns (users, orders, products), not verbs
- Use HTTP methods for actions (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE)
- URLs represent resource hierarchies
- Consistent naming conventions
**HTTP Methods Semantics:**
- `GET`: Retrieve resources (idempotent, safe)
- `POST`: Create new resources
- `PUT`: Replace entire resource (idempotent)
- `PATCH`: Partial resource updates
- `DELETE`: Remove resources (idempotent)
### 2. GraphQL Design Principles
**Schema-First Development**
- Types define your domain model
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The line at the top of this page pins the label git:20251120.50bf83d, which is what most people want. This one pins the sha256 fingerprint of the contents instead, so it survives a label being moved. Either way the exact version is written to mdr.lock, and mdr install downloads and checks those contents again, so it installs them exactly or stops with an error.
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/artifacts/art_sso4cpbx5tvhjzfz
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/resolve?ref=hermeticormus/claude-code-game-development/api-design-principles
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/blob/bcdb7b3e3145256169dd8dd5b44fb7d81ebda8760ff1e515bda7bcb43c1cb9b9
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