minimal-api

name	minimal-api
description	Use when building minimal API endpoints with route groups, filters, or TypedResults.
metadata	{"category":"api","agent":"api-designer","when-to-use":"When creating minimal API endpoints, route groups, or endpoint filters"}

Minimal API Endpoints

Core Principles

• Organize endpoints into groups using IEndpointGroup pattern
• Use TypedResults for compile-time-checked return types
• Apply endpoint filters for cross-cutting concerns
• Use [AsParameters] for complex query parameter binding
• Register OpenAPI metadata on every endpoint

Patterns

IEndpointGroup Interface and Auto-Discovery

public interface IEndpointGroup
{
    void MapEndpoints(IEndpointRouteBuilder app);
}

// Auto-registration extension
public static class EndpointGroupExtensions
{
    public static void MapEndpointGroups(this WebApplication app)
    {
        var groups = typeof(Program).Assembly
            .GetTypes()
            .Where(t => t.IsAssignableTo(typeof(IEndpointGroup))
                && !t.IsInterface && !t.IsAbstract)
            .Select(Activator.CreateInstance)
            .Cast<IEndpointGroup>();

        foreach (var group in groups)
            group.MapEndpoints(app);
    }
}

// Program.cs
app.MapEndpointGroups();

Endpoint Group with Route Prefix

public sealed class OrderEndpoints : IEndpointGroup
{
    public void MapEndpoints(IEndpointRouteBuilder app)
    {
        var group = app.MapGroup("/orders")
            .WithTags("Orders")
            .RequireAuthorization();

        group.MapGet("/", GetOrders)
            .WithSummary("List orders with filtering");

        group.MapGet("/{id:guid}", GetOrder)
            .WithSummary("Get order by ID");

        group.MapPost("/", CreateOrder)
            .WithSummary("Create a new order");

        group.MapPut("/{id:guid}", UpdateOrder)
            .WithSummary("Update an existing order");

        group.MapDelete("/{id:guid}", DeleteOrder)
            .WithSummary("Delete an order");
    }

    private static async Task<Ok<PagedList<OrderResponse>>> GetOrders(
        [AsParameters] OrderFilter filter,
        ISender sender, CancellationToken ct)
    {
        var result = await sender.Send(
            new ListOrdersQuery(filter), ct);
        return TypedResults.Ok(result);
    }

    private static async Task<Results<Ok<OrderResponse>, NotFound>>
        GetOrder(Guid id, ISender sender, CancellationToken ct)
    {
        var result = await sender.Send(
            new GetOrderQuery(id), ct);
        return result is not null
            ? TypedResults.Ok(result)
            : TypedResults.NotFound();
    }

    private static async Task<Results<Created<OrderResponse>,
        BadRequest<ProblemDetails>>> CreateOrder(
        CreateOrderRequest request,
        ISender sender, CancellationToken ct)
    {
        var result = await sender.Send(
            new CreateOrderCommand(request.CustomerName), ct);
        return result.Match<Results<Created<OrderResponse>,
            BadRequest<ProblemDetails>>>(
            order => TypedResults.Created(
                $"/orders/{order.Id}", order),
            error => TypedResults.BadRequest(
                error.ToProblemDetails()));
    }
}

Parameter Binding with [AsParameters]

public sealed record OrderFilter(
    [FromQuery] string? CustomerName,
    [FromQuery] OrderStatus? Status,
    [FromQuery] int Page = 1,
    [FromQuery] int PageSize = 20);

Endpoint Filters

// Validation filter
public sealed class ValidationFilter<TRequest>(
    IValidator<TRequest> validator) : IEndpointFilter
{
    public async ValueTask<object?> InvokeAsync(
        EndpointFilterInvocationContext context,
        EndpointFilterDelegate next)
    {
        var request = context.Arguments
            .OfType<TRequest>().FirstOrDefault();

        if (request is null)
            return TypedResults.BadRequest("Request body is required");

        var result = await validator.ValidateAsync(request);
        if (!result.IsValid)
        {
            return TypedResults.ValidationProblem(
                result.ToDictionary());
        }

        return await next(context);
    }
}

// Apply filter to endpoint
group.MapPost("/", CreateOrder)
    .AddEndpointFilter<ValidationFilter<CreateOrderRequest>>();

Global Exception Handler

// Program.cs
app.UseExceptionHandler(error => error.Run(async context =>
{
    context.Response.ContentType = "application/problem+json";
    context.Response.StatusCode = StatusCodes.Status500InternalServerError;

    await context.Response.WriteAsJsonAsync(new ProblemDetails
    {
        Status = 500,
        Title = "Internal Server Error",
        Type = "https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc9110#section-15.6.1"
    });
}));

Anti-Patterns

• Defining all endpoints directly in Program.cs (use endpoint groups)
• Returning IResult without TypedResults (loses compile-time checking)
• Missing OpenAPI metadata (WithSummary, WithTags)
• Not propagating CancellationToken from endpoint to handler
• Inline business logic in endpoint delegates

Detect Existing Patterns

1. Search for MapGroup, MapGet, MapPost in Program.cs or endpoint files
2. Look for IEndpointGroup or IEndpointRouteBuilder extension methods
3. Check for TypedResults usage
4. Look for WithTags, WithSummary metadata calls
5. Check for AddEndpointFilter calls

Adding to Existing Project

1. Create IEndpointGroup interface and auto-discovery extension
2. Group related endpoints into classes per feature/entity
3. Add TypedResults for explicit return type contracts
4. Add OpenAPI metadata — WithSummary, WithTags, WithDescription
5. Create endpoint filters for validation and error handling
6. Use [AsParameters] for complex query parameter objects

Decision Guide

Scenario	Recommendation
Simple CRUD API	Minimal API with endpoint groups
Complex model binding	Controllers may be easier
Real-time + REST	Minimal API + SignalR hubs
Need OpenAPI docs	Add WithSummary/WithDescription to every endpoint

References

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/core/fundamentals/minimal-apis
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/core/fundamentals/minimal-apis/min-api-filters