api-design-principles

Key REST and GraphQL API design principles include schema-first design, consistent versioning strategies, standardized error handling, proper pagination, and thorough documentation practices to enforce structured API contracts.

To create an API contract for a new service, apply schema-first design guidelines to define REST resources or GraphQL types, including specific endpoints, data schemas, and error schemas for operations like create, read, update, and delete.

The best way to handle API versioning and pagination involves applying structured design patterns that enforce consistent validation rules across teams, reducing ambiguity and aligning on coherent API contract management strategies.

You should use schema-first design for APIs when starting a new service to ensure a coherent contract, defining GraphQL types and REST resources upfront before implementation to align teams on consistent patterns.

Yes, this approach supports both REST resources and GraphQL types, providing structured design guidance, validation rules, and principled patterns for defining endpoints, schemas, and relationships across both architectural styles.