MCPInstall

android-retrofit

Expert guidance on setting up and using Retrofit for type-safe HTTP networking in Android. Covers service definitions, coroutines, OkHttp configuration, and Hilt integration.

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Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/new-silvermoon/awesome-android-agent-skills --skill android-retrofit
  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 android-retrofit 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.

Android Networking with Retrofit

Instructions

When implementing network layers using Retrofit, follow these modern Android best practices (2025).

1. URL Manipulation

Retrofit allows dynamic URL updates through replacement blocks and query parameters.

  • Dynamic Paths: Use {name} in the relative URL and @Path("name") in parameters.
  • Query Parameters: Use @Query("key") for individual parameters.
  • Complex Queries: Use @QueryMap Map<String, String> for dynamic sets of parameters.
interface SearchService {
    @GET("group/{id}/users")
    suspend fun groupList(
        @Path("id") groupId: Int,
        @Query("sort") sort: String?,
        @QueryMap options: Map<String, String> = emptyMap()
    ): List<User>
}

2. Request Body & Form Data

You can send objects as JSON bodies or use form-encoded/multipart formats.

  • @Body: Serializes an object using the configured converter (JSON).
  • @FormUrlEncoded: Sends data as application/x-www-form-urlencoded. Use @Field.
  • @Multipart: Sends data as multipart/form-data. Use @Part.
interface UserService {
    @POST("users/new")
    suspend fun createUser(@Body user: User): User

    @FormUrlEncoded
    @POST("user/edit")
    suspend fun updateUser(
        @Field("first_name") first: String,
        @Field("last_name") last: String
    ): User

    @Multipart
    @PUT("user/photo")
    suspend fun uploadPhoto(
        @Part("description") description: RequestBody,
        @Part photo: MultipartBody.Part
    ): User
}

3. Header Manipulation

Headers can be set statically for a method or dynamically via parameters.

  • Static Headers: Use @Headers.
  • Dynamic Headers: Use @Header.
  • Header Maps: Use @HeaderMap.
  • Global Headers: Use an OkHttp Interceptor.
interface WidgetService {
    @Headers("Cache-Control: max-age=640000")
    @GET("widget/list")
    suspend fun widgetList(): List<Widget>

    @GET("user")
    suspend fun getUser(@Header("Authorization") token: String): User
}

4. Kotlin Support & Response Handling

When using suspend functions, you have two choices for return types:

  1. Direct Body (User): Returns the deserialized body. Throws HttpException for non-2xx responses.
  2. Response<User>: Provides access to the status code, headers, and error body. Does NOT throw on non-2xx results.
@GET("users")
suspend fun getUsers(): List<User> // Throws on error

@GET("users")
suspend fun getUsersResponse(): Response<List<User>> // Manual check

5. Hilt & Serialization Configuration

Provide your Retrofit instances as singletons in a Hilt module.

@Module
@InstallIn(SingletonComponent::class)
object NetworkModule {

    @Provides
    @Singleton
    fun provideJson(): Json = Json {
        ignoreUnknownKeys = true
        coerceInputValues = true
    }

    @Provides
    @Singleton
    fun provideOkHttpClient(): OkHttpClient = OkHttpClient.Builder()
        .addInterceptor(HttpLoggingInterceptor().apply { level = HttpLoggingInterceptor.Level.BODY })
        .connectTimeout(30, TimeUnit.SECONDS)
        .build()

    @Provides
    @Singleton
    fun provideRetrofit(okHttpClient: OkHttpClient, json: Json): Retrofit = Retrofit.Builder()
        .baseUrl("https://api.github.com/")
        .client(okHttpClient)
        .addConverterFactory(json.asConverterFactory("application/json".toMediaType()))
        .build()
}

6. Error Handling in Repositories

Always handle network exceptions in the Repository layer to keep the UI state clean.

class GitHubRepository @Inject constructor(private val service: GitHubService) {
    suspend fun getRepos(username: String): Result<List<Repo>> = runCatching {
        // Direct body call throws HttpException on 4xx/5xx
        service.listRepos(username)
    }.onFailure { exception ->
        // Handle specific exceptions like UnknownHostException or SocketTimeoutException
    }
}

7. Checklist

  • Use suspend functions for all network calls.
  • Prefer Response<T> if you need to handle specific status codes (e.g., 401 Unauthorized).
  • Use @Path and @Query instead of manual string concatenation for URLs.
  • Configure OkHttpClient with logging (for debug) and sensible timeouts.
  • Map API DTOs to Domain models to decouple layers.

FAQ

What does the android-retrofit skill do?

Expert guidance on setting up and using Retrofit for type-safe HTTP networking in Android. Covers service definitions, coroutines, OkHttp configuration, and Hilt integration.

How do I install android-retrofit?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/new-silvermoon/awesome-android-agent-skills --skill android-retrofit 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/android-retrofit/ (personal) or .claude/skills/android-retrofit/ (project).

Which AI agents can use android-retrofit?

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 android-retrofit 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 android-retrofit?

It is published by new-silvermoon in new-silvermoon/awesome-android-agent-skills. It has 474 recorded installs.

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