designing-apis
Designs REST and GraphQL APIs including endpoints, error handling, versioning, and documentation. Use when creating new APIs, designing endpoints, reviewing API contracts, or when asked about REST, GraphQL, or API patterns.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/cloudai-x/claude-workflow-v2 --skill designing-apis- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads designing-apis automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Designing APIs
When to Load
- Trigger: Designing REST or GraphQL endpoints, API contracts, versioning, request/response formats
- Skip: Internal-only code with no API surface
API Design Workflow
Copy this checklist and track progress:
API Design Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Define resources and relationships
- [ ] Step 2: Design endpoint structure
- [ ] Step 3: Define request/response formats
- [ ] Step 4: Plan error handling
- [ ] Step 5: Add authentication/authorization
- [ ] Step 6: Document with OpenAPI spec
- [ ] Step 7: Validate design against checklist
REST API Design
URL Structure
# Resource-based URLs (nouns, not verbs)
GET /users # List users
GET /users/:id # Get user
POST /users # Create user
PUT /users/:id # Replace user
PATCH /users/:id # Update user
DELETE /users/:id # Delete user
# Nested resources
GET /users/:id/orders # User's orders
POST /users/:id/orders # Create order for user
# Query parameters for filtering/pagination
GET /users?role=admin&status=active
GET /users?page=2&limit=20&sort=-createdAt
HTTP Status Codes
| Code | Meaning | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | OK | Successful GET, PUT, PATCH |
| 201 | Created | Successful POST |
| 204 | No Content | Successful DELETE |
| 400 | Bad Request | Invalid input |
| 401 | Unauthorized | Missing/invalid auth |
| 403 | Forbidden | Valid auth, no permission |
| 404 | Not Found | Resource doesn't exist |
| 409 | Conflict | Duplicate, state conflict |
| 422 | Unprocessable | Validation failed |
| 429 | Too Many Requests | Rate limited |
| 500 | Internal Error | Server error |
Response Formats
Success Response:
{
"data": {
"id": "123",
"type": "user",
"attributes": {
"name": "John Doe",
"email": "john@example.com"
}
},
"meta": {
"requestId": "abc-123"
}
}
List Response with Pagination:
{
"data": [...],
"meta": {
"total": 100,
"page": 1,
"limit": 20,
"totalPages": 5
},
"links": {
"self": "/users?page=1",
"next": "/users?page=2",
"last": "/users?page=5"
}
}
Error Response:
{
"error": {
"code": "VALIDATION_ERROR",
"message": "Invalid input data",
"details": [
{
"field": "email",
"message": "Must be a valid email address"
}
]
},
"meta": {
"requestId": "abc-123"
}
}
API Versioning
URL Versioning (Recommended):
/api/v1/users
/api/v2/users
Header Versioning:
Accept: application/vnd.example.v1+json
Authentication Patterns
JWT Bearer Token:
Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIs...
API Key:
X-API-Key: your-api-key
Rate Limiting Headers
X-RateLimit-Limit: 100
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 95
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1609459200
Retry-After: 60
GraphQL Patterns
Schema Design:
# Abbreviated: input, connection and error types omitted for brevity
type Query {
user(id: ID!): User
users(filter: UserFilter, pagination: Pagination): UserConnection!
}
type Mutation {
createUser(input: CreateUserInput!): UserPayload!
updateUser(id: ID!, input: UpdateUserInput!): UserPayload!
}
type User {
id: ID!
name: String!
email: String!
orders(first: Int, after: String): OrderConnection!
}
input CreateUserInput {
name: String!
email: String!
}
type UserPayload {
user: User
errors: [Error!]
}
OpenAPI Specification Template
See OPENAPI-TEMPLATE.md for the full OpenAPI 3.0 specification template.
API Design Validation
After completing the design, validate against this checklist:
Validation Checklist:
- [ ] All endpoints use nouns, not verbs
- [ ] HTTP methods match operations correctly
- [ ] Consistent response format across endpoints
- [ ] Error responses include actionable details
- [ ] Pagination implemented for list endpoints
- [ ] Authentication defined for protected endpoints
- [ ] Rate limiting headers documented
- [ ] OpenAPI spec is complete and valid
If validation fails, return to the relevant design step and address the issues.
Security Checklist
- HTTPS only
- Authentication on all endpoints
- Authorization checks
- Input validation
- Rate limiting
- Request size limits
- CORS properly configured
- No sensitive data in URLs
- Audit logging
FAQ
What does the designing-apis skill do?
Designs REST and GraphQL APIs including endpoints, error handling, versioning, and documentation. Use when creating new APIs, designing endpoints, reviewing API contracts, or when asked about REST, GraphQL, or API patterns.
How do I install designing-apis?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/cloudai-x/claude-workflow-v2 --skill designing-apis in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/designing-apis/ (personal) or .claude/skills/designing-apis/ (project).
Which AI agents can use designing-apis?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is designing-apis safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains designing-apis?
It is published by cloudai-x in cloudai-x/claude-workflow-v2. It has 178 recorded installs.
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