api-patterns

name	api-patterns
description	API design principles and decision-making. REST vs GraphQL vs tRPC selection, response formats, versioning, pagination.
type	skill
created	2026-02-27T00:00:00.000Z
domain	software-development
category	architecture
risk	unknown
source	community
tags	["skill","software-development","architecture","api"]

API Patterns

API design principles and decision-making for 2025. Learn to THINK, not copy fixed patterns.

🎯 Selective Reading Rule

Read ONLY files relevant to the request! Check the content map, find what you need.

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📑 Content Map

File	Description	When to Read
api-style.md	REST vs GraphQL vs tRPC decision tree	Choosing API type
rest.md	Resource naming, HTTP methods, status codes	Designing REST API
response.md	Envelope pattern, error format, pagination	Response structure
graphql.md	Schema design, when to use, security	Considering GraphQL
trpc.md	TypeScript monorepo, type safety	TS fullstack projects
versioning.md	URI/Header/Query versioning	API evolution planning
auth.md	JWT, OAuth, Passkey, API Keys	Auth pattern selection
rate-limiting.md	Token bucket, sliding window	API protection
documentation.md	OpenAPI/Swagger best practices	Documentation
security-testing.md	OWASP API Top 10, auth/authz testing	Security audits

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🔗 Related Skills

Need	Skill
API implementation	@[skills/backend-development]
Data structure	@[skills/database-design]
Security details	@[skills/security-hardening]

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✅ Decision Checklist

Before designing an API: