8 essential tips to guide your API design

If You Design APIs, You Need These 8 Tips for Efficiency 👇

Creating a robust API isn’t just about getting it to work—it’s about crafting it for efficiency, scalability, and ease of use. Here are 8 essential tips to guide your API design:
📌 1 - Domain Model Driven
- Base your API path structure on the domain model.
- This approach ensures that your API aligns with the core business logic.

📌 2 - Choose Proper HTTP Methods
- Simplify your API design by defining key HTTP methods.
- Be mindful of methods like PATCH, which can introduce complexity.

📌 3 - Implement Idempotence Properly
- Ensure your API is robust by designing for idempotence.
- While GET is naturally idempotent, POST requires careful design to achieve this.

📌 4 - Choose Proper HTTP Status Codes
- Limit the number of HTTP status codes to streamline application development.
- Consistent use of status codes simplifies error handling and debugging.

📌 5 - Versioning
- Plan your API versioning strategy early to simplify future upgrades.
- A clear versioning scheme prevents breaking changes from disrupting users.

📌 6 - Semantic Paths
- Use meaningful, semantic paths to make your API intuitive and easy to navigate.
- Clear paths help users quickly find what they need in your documentation.

📌 7 - Batch Processing
- Support batch operations by using keywords like "batch" at the end of your path.
- This allows for efficient handling of bulk data requests.

📌 8 - Query Language
- Design a flexible set of query rules for your API.
- Features like pagination, sorting, and filtering enhance the API's usability.

How do you ensure efficiency in your API designs?