api-design

Design REST APIs with versioning, pagination, error handling, and OpenAPI documentation.

Updated Jan 23, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/jnPiyush/AI-Squad --skill api-design-jnpiyush
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: api-design
Source: https://github.com/jnPiyush/AI-Squad/tree/main/ai_squad/skills/api-design
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/jnPiyush/AI-Squad --skill api-design-jnpiyush

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

This Skill helps organizations design robust REST APIs with consistent versioning, pagination, error handling, rate limiting, and OpenAPI documentation, reducing integration friction and maintenance.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Versioning & discovery: Establish consistent API versioning via URL paths and provide versioning documentation.
  • Pagination & errors: Standard pagination patterns, meaningful error responses, and mapped HTTP status codes.
  • OpenAPI documentation: Generate and maintain an OpenAPI spec and Swagger UI for discoverability.

Use Case: Design a user service with endpoints like /api/v1/users and /api/v1/users/{id} to illustrate versioned resources and pagination.

Quick Start

Draft an API design outline for a user management service with versioned endpoints, pagination defaults, and an OpenAPI schema fragment.

Frequently Asked Questions about api-design

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I design a REST API with consistent versioning and pagination?

To design a REST API with consistent versioning, establish URL path versioning like /api/v1/ and apply standard pagination patterns to manage resource collections, reducing integration friction and maintenance overhead.

What is the best way to structure error handling and HTTP status codes in a REST API?

The best way to structure REST API error handling is by mapping meaningful error responses to standard HTTP status codes, enforcing consistent conventions across microservices, public, and internal APIs.

How do I generate and maintain OpenAPI documentation for my REST API?

To generate and maintain OpenAPI documentation, you define an OpenAPI schema fragment for your versioned endpoints and integrate it with tooling like Swagger UI to ensure API discoverability.

Can I use this approach to design REST APIs for microservices?

Yes, this approach applies to REST API design across microservices, establishing conventions for resource naming, response formats, rate limiting, and versioning documentation for distributed services.

When do I need URL path versioning for my REST API?

You need URL path versioning for your REST API when providing clear version discovery, allowing endpoints like /api/v1/users and /api/v1/users/{id} to maintain backward compatibility during iterative updates.

Why does my REST API need standard pagination patterns?

Your REST API needs standard pagination patterns to manage large sets of resources efficiently, preventing payload overload and ensuring consistent response formats when querying collections like user lists.