MCPInstall

api-contract-review

Review REST API contracts for HTTP semantics, versioning, backward compatibility, and response consistency. Use when user asks "review API", "check endpoints", "REST review", or before releasing API changes.

Installs
288
Last 24h
—
Trending rank
—
Security
Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/decebals/claude-code-java --skill api-contract-review
  1. 01

    Install

    Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.

  2. 02

    Describe the task

    Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads api-contract-review automatically when relevant.

  3. 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.

API Contract Review Skill

Audit REST API design for correctness, consistency, and compatibility.

When to Use

  • User asks "review this API" / "check REST endpoints"
  • Before releasing API changes
  • Reviewing PR with controller changes
  • Checking backward compatibility

Quick Reference: Common Issues

IssueSymptomImpact
Wrong HTTP verbPOST for idempotent operationConfusion, caching issues
Missing versioning/users instead of /v1/usersBreaking changes affect all clients
Entity leakJPA entity in responseExposes internals, N+1 risk
200 with error{"status": 200, "error": "..."}Breaks error handling
Inconsistent naming/getUsers vs /usersHard to learn API

HTTP Verb Semantics

Verb Selection Guide

VerbUse ForIdempotentSafeRequest Body
GETRetrieve resourceYesYesNo
POSTCreate new resourceNoNoYes
PUTReplace entire resourceYesNoYes
PATCHPartial updateNo*NoYes
DELETERemove resourceYesNoOptional

*PATCH can be idempotent depending on implementation

Common Mistakes

// ❌ POST for retrieval
@PostMapping("/users/search")
public List<User> searchUsers(@RequestBody SearchCriteria criteria) { }

// ✅ GET with query params (or POST only if criteria is very complex)
@GetMapping("/users")
public List<User> searchUsers(
    @RequestParam String name,
    @RequestParam(required = false) String email) { }

// ❌ GET for state change
@GetMapping("/users/{id}/activate")
public void activateUser(@PathVariable Long id) { }

// ✅ POST or PATCH for state change
@PostMapping("/users/{id}/activate")
public ResponseEntity<Void> activateUser(@PathVariable Long id) { }

// ❌ POST for idempotent update
@PostMapping("/users/{id}")
public User updateUser(@PathVariable Long id, @RequestBody UserDto dto) { }

// ✅ PUT for full replacement, PATCH for partial
@PutMapping("/users/{id}")
public User replaceUser(@PathVariable Long id, @RequestBody UserDto dto) { }

@PatchMapping("/users/{id}")
public User updateUser(@PathVariable Long id, @RequestBody UserPatchDto dto) { }

API Versioning

Strategies

StrategyExampleProsCons
URL path/v1/usersClear, easy routingURL changes
HeaderAccept: application/vnd.api.v1+jsonClean URLsHidden, harder to test
Query param/users?version=1Easy to addEasy to forget

Recommended: URL Path

// ✅ Versioned endpoints
@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/v1/users")
public class UserControllerV1 { }

@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/v2/users")
public class UserControllerV2 { }

// ❌ No versioning
@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/users")  // Breaking changes affect everyone
public class UserController { }

Version Checklist

  • All public APIs have version in path
  • Internal APIs documented as internal (or versioned too)
  • Deprecation strategy defined for old versions

Request/Response Design

DTO vs Entity

// ❌ Entity in response (leaks internals)
@GetMapping("/{id}")
public User getUser(@PathVariable Long id) {
    return userRepository.findById(id).orElseThrow();
    // Exposes: password hash, internal IDs, lazy collections
}

// ✅ DTO response
@GetMapping("/{id}")
public UserResponse getUser(@PathVariable Long id) {
    User user = userService.findById(id);
    return UserResponse.from(user);  // Only public fields
}

Response Consistency

// ❌ Inconsistent responses
@GetMapping("/users")
public List<User> getUsers() { }  // Returns array

@GetMapping("/users/{id}")
public User getUser(@PathVariable Long id) { }  // Returns object

@GetMapping("/users/count")
public int countUsers() { }  // Returns primitive

// ✅ Consistent wrapper (optional but recommended for large APIs)
@GetMapping("/users")
public ApiResponse<List<UserResponse>> getUsers() {
    return ApiResponse.success(userService.findAll());
}

// Or at minimum, consistent structure:
// - Collections: always wrapped or always raw (pick one)
// - Single items: always object
// - Counts/stats: always object { "count": 42 }

Pagination

// ❌ No pagination on collections
@GetMapping("/users")
public List<User> getAllUsers() {
    return userRepository.findAll();  // Could be millions
}

// ✅ Paginated
@GetMapping("/users")
public Page<UserResponse> getUsers(
    @RequestParam(defaultValue = "0") int page,
    @RequestParam(defaultValue = "20") int size) {
    return userService.findAll(PageRequest.of(page, size));
}

HTTP Status Codes

Success Codes

CodeWhen to UseResponse Body
200 OKSuccessful GET, PUT, PATCHResource or result
201 CreatedSuccessful POST (created)Created resource + Location header
204 No ContentSuccessful DELETE, or PUT with no bodyEmpty

Error Codes

CodeWhen to UseCommon Mistake
400 Bad RequestInvalid input, validation failedUsing for "not found"
401 UnauthorizedNot authenticatedConfusing with 403
403 ForbiddenAuthenticated but not allowedUsing 401 instead
404 Not FoundResource doesn't existUsing 400
409 ConflictDuplicate, concurrent modificationUsing 400
422 UnprocessableSemantic error (valid syntax, invalid meaning)Using 400
500 Internal ErrorUnexpected server errorExposing stack traces

Anti-Pattern: 200 with Error Body

// ❌ NEVER DO THIS
@GetMapping("/{id}")
public ResponseEntity<Map<String, Object>> getUser(@PathVariable Long id) {
    try {
        User user = userService.findById(id);
        return ResponseEntity.ok(Map.of("status", "success", "data", user));
    } catch (NotFoundException e) {
        return ResponseEntity.ok(Map.of(  // Still 200!
            "status", "error",
            "message", "User not found"
        ));
    }
}

// ✅ Use proper status codes
@GetMapping("/{id}")
public ResponseEntity<UserResponse> getUser(@PathVariable Long id) {
    return userService.findById(id)
        .map(ResponseEntity::ok)
        .orElse(ResponseEntity.notFound().build());
}

Error Response Format

Consistent Error Structure

// ✅ Standard error response
public class ErrorResponse {
    private String code;        // Machine-readable: "USER_NOT_FOUND"
    private String message;     // Human-readable: "User with ID 123 not found"
    private Instant timestamp;
    private String path;
    private List<FieldError> errors;  // For validation errors
}

// In GlobalExceptionHandler
@ExceptionHandler(ResourceNotFoundException.class)
public ResponseEntity<ErrorResponse> handleNotFound(
        ResourceNotFoundException ex, HttpServletRequest request) {
    return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.NOT_FOUND)
        .body(ErrorResponse.builder()
            .code("RESOURCE_NOT_FOUND")
            .message(ex.getMessage())
            .timestamp(Instant.now())
            .path(request.getRequestURI())
            .build());
}

Security: Don't Expose Internals

// ❌ Exposes stack trace
@ExceptionHandler(Exception.class)
public ResponseEntity<String> handleAll(Exception ex) {
    return ResponseEntity.status(500)
        .body(ex.getStackTrace().toString());  // Security risk!
}

// ✅ Generic message, log details server-side
@ExceptionHandler(Exception.class)
public ResponseEntity<ErrorResponse> handleAll(Exception ex) {
    log.error("Unexpected error", ex);  // Full details in logs
    return ResponseEntity.status(500)
        .body(ErrorResponse.of("INTERNAL_ERROR", "An unexpected error occurred"));
}

Backward Compatibility

Breaking Changes (Avoid in Same Version)

ChangeBreaking?Migration
Remove endpointYesDeprecate first, remove in next version
Remove field from responseYesKeep field, return null/default
Add required field to requestYesMake optional with default
Change field typeYesAdd new field, deprecate old
Rename fieldYesSupport both temporarily
Change URL pathYesRedirect old to new

Non-Breaking Changes (Safe)

  • Add optional field to request
  • Add field to response
  • Add new endpoint
  • Add new optional query parameter

Deprecation Pattern

@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/v1/users")
public class UserControllerV1 {

    @Deprecated
    @GetMapping("/by-email")  // Old endpoint
    public UserResponse getByEmailOld(@RequestParam String email) {
        return getByEmail(email);  // Delegate to new
    }

    @GetMapping(params = "email")  // New pattern
    public UserResponse getByEmail(@RequestParam String email) {
        return userService.findByEmail(email);
    }
}

API Review Checklist

1. HTTP Semantics

  • GET for retrieval only (no side effects)
  • POST for creation (returns 201 + Location)
  • PUT for full replacement (idempotent)
  • PATCH for partial updates
  • DELETE for removal (idempotent)

2. URL Design

  • Versioned (/v1/, /v2/)
  • Nouns, not verbs (/users, not /getUsers)
  • Plural for collections (/users, not /user)
  • Hierarchical for relationships (/users/{id}/orders)
  • Consistent naming (kebab-case or camelCase, pick one)

3. Request Handling

  • Validation with @Valid
  • Clear error messages for validation failures
  • Request DTOs (not entities)
  • Reasonable size limits

4. Response Design

  • Response DTOs (not entities)
  • Consistent structure across endpoints
  • Pagination for collections
  • Proper status codes (not 200 for errors)

5. Error Handling

  • Consistent error format
  • Machine-readable error codes
  • Human-readable messages
  • No stack traces exposed
  • Proper 4xx vs 5xx distinction

6. Compatibility

  • No breaking changes in current version
  • Deprecated endpoints documented
  • Migration path for breaking changes

Token Optimization

For large APIs:

  1. List all controllers: find . -name "*Controller.java"
  2. Sample 2-3 controllers for pattern analysis
  3. Check @ExceptionHandler configuration once
  4. Grep for specific anti-patterns:
    # Find potential entity leaks
    grep -r "public.*Entity.*@GetMapping" --include="*.java"
    
    # Find 200 with error patterns
    grep -r "ResponseEntity.ok.*error" --include="*.java"
    
    # Find unversioned APIs
    grep -r "@RequestMapping.*api" --include="*.java" | grep -v "/v[0-9]"
    

FAQ

What does the api-contract-review skill do?

Review REST API contracts for HTTP semantics, versioning, backward compatibility, and response consistency. Use when user asks "review API", "check endpoints", "REST review", or before releasing API changes.

How do I install api-contract-review?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/decebals/claude-code-java --skill api-contract-review 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/api-contract-review/ (personal) or .claude/skills/api-contract-review/ (project).

Which AI agents can use api-contract-review?

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 api-contract-review 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 api-contract-review?

It is published by decebals in decebals/claude-code-java. It has 288 recorded installs.

More from decebals/claude-code-java

View all →

java-code-review

decebals/claude-code-java

Systematic code review for Java with null safety, exception handling, concurrency, and performance checks. Use when user says "review code", "check this PR", "code review", or before merging changes.

clean-code

decebals/claude-code-java

Clean Code principles (DRY, KISS, YAGNI), naming, function design and readability. Use when code is hard to read, with long methods, unclear names, duplication or deep nesting. For how responsibilities are split across classes and which way dependencies point, use solid-principles instead.

concurrency-review

decebals/claude-code-java

Open the skill to read its SKILL.md instructions.

solid-principles

decebals/claude-code-java

SOLID principles checklist with Java examples. Use when a class has too many responsibilities, an abstraction leaks, or a dependency points the wrong way, and when the user asks about Single Responsibility, Open/Closed, Liskov, Interface Segregation or Dependency Inversion. For naming, duplication and method length, use clean-code instead.

Backend & APIs351 installs

architecture-review

decebals/claude-code-java

Open the skill to read its SKILL.md instructions.

design-patterns

decebals/claude-code-java

Open the skill to read its SKILL.md instructions.

Backend & APIs340 installs

Popular backend & apis skills

View category →

find-skills

vercel-labs/skills

Helps users discover and install agent skills when they ask questions like "how do I do X", "find a skill for X", "is there a skill that can...", or express interest in extending capabilities. This skill should be used when the user is looking for functionality that might exist as an installable skill.

OfficialBackend & APIs4.1M installs

entra-app-registration

microsoft/azure-skills

Guides Microsoft Entra ID app registration, OAuth 2.0 authentication, and MSAL integration. USE FOR: create app registration, register Azure AD app, configure OAuth, set up authentication, add API permissions, generate service principal, MSAL example, console app auth, Entra ID setup, Azure AD authentication. DO NOT USE FOR: Key Vault secrets (use azure-keyvault-expiration-audit), general Azure resource security guidance.

OfficialBackend & APIs566.7K installs

This skill should be used when the user wants to "write agent code", "build an agent with ADK", "add a tool", "create a callback", "define an agent", "use state management" — in a project that needs ADK (Agent Development Kit) API patterns and code examples. It provides a quick reference for agent types, tool definitions, orchestration patterns, callbacks, state management, the graph Workflow API, and reference recipes to study. Do NOT use for scaffolding (use google-agents-cli-scaffold) or deployment (use google-agents-cli-deploy).

Backend & APIs514.8K installs

embedded-captions

heygen-com/hyperframes

Add captions or subtitles to an existing single-subject talking-head video without editing the footage. Use for plain verbatim captions, cinematic captions embedded behind the subject, VFX captions, “炸/特效/酷炫字幕,” or a named identity from the 35-style catalog. Route by visual identity, not by backend engine. The quiet anchor rail is the default; embed every word only when the user explicitly wants a fully cinematic treatment. The workflow runs locally end to end, including transcription and subject matting; split multi-shot footage before applying it.

Backend & APIs453.3K installs

entra-agent-id

microsoft/azure-skills

Provision Microsoft Entra Agent Identity Blueprints, BlueprintPrincipals, and per-instance Agent Identities via Microsoft Graph, and configure OAuth 2.0 token exchange (fmipath, OBO, cross-tenant) including the Microsoft Entra SDK for AgentID sidecar. USE FOR: Agent Identity Blueprint, BlueprintPrincipal, agent OAuth, fmipath token exchange, agent OBO, Workload Identity Federation for agents, polyglot agent auth, Microsoft.Identity.Web.AgentIdentities. DO NOT USE FOR: standard Entra app registration (use entra-app-registration), Microsoft Foundry agent authoring (use microsoft-foundry).

OfficialBackend & APIs336.6K installs

neon

neondatabase/agent-skills

Overview of Neon, a complete set of cloud backend primitives around Lakebase Postgres: Auth, Object Storage, Functions, the AI Gateway, and Realtime. Start here to choose Neon for undecided login, files, APIs, and LLM calls, set up the CLI or MCP server, and follow the branch-first workflow. Use when building an app or backend on Neon, or when "Neon" or "Lakebase Postgres" is mentioned. Child skill neon-postgres wins for an existing DATABASEURL, SQL, schema, inspect, or search. Child skill neon-auth wins for login, users, sessions, identity routing, and Managed Better Auth setup. Child skill neon-realtime wins for live queries in reactive apps and agents. Also use for object storage, S3, buckets, serverless functions, function triggers, cron, AI gateway, LLM calls, realtime, logs, Loki, Grafana, observability, postgres, database, backend, Claimable Neon, neon.new, or a no-signup database.

Backend & APIs237.1K installs