Backend API

RESTful API design uses HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) mapped to resource operations, with appropriate status codes and URL conventions. This Skill enforces REST principles to ensure endpoints are predictable and follow coding standards, making integrations straightforward for API consumers.

HTTP methods correspond to actions: GET retrieves data, POST creates resources, PUT updates existing resources, and DELETE removes them. Status codes signal outcomes: 200 for success, 201 for creation, 400 for client errors, and 500 for server errors. This Skill ensures your endpoints use the correct combinations consistently.

API versioning manages backward compatibility by prefixing endpoints (e.g., /v1/, /v2/) and rate limiting restricts request frequency to prevent abuse. This Skill guides you through implementing these practices to build scalable, maintainable APIs that grow with your application.

Backend API security includes input validation, error handling without exposing internal details, authentication, and authorization checks. This Skill enforces security standards to prevent vulnerabilities and ensure your API safely handles sensitive data and user interactions.

This Skill applies to both new endpoint design and existing API logic across codebases. It enforces naming, error handling, versioning, and security practices throughout your backend, helping standardize and improve integrations regardless of project stage.

Inconsistent HTTP usage, unclear documentation, unpredictable status codes, and missing error handling create friction for API consumers and lead to integration failures. This Skill prevents these problems by enforcing standards that make APIs clear, reliable, and easy to integrate with.