Agent skill · software engineering · davila7
api-design-principles
Master REST and GraphQL API design principles to build intuitive, scalable, and maintainable APIs that delight developers and stand the test of time.
Why this skill is useful
Codifies best practices for API design but AI already knows general principles of REST and GraphQL.
What it needs
About 1k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-06. 30,138 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
API Design Principles Master REST and GraphQL API design principles to build intuitive, scalable, and maintainable APIs that delight developers and stand the test of time. Use this skill when Designing new REST or GraphQL APIs Refactoring existing APIs for better usability Establishing API design standards for your team Reviewing API specifications before implementation Migrating between API paradigms (REST to GraphQL, etc.) Creating developer-friendly API documentation Optimizing APIs for specific use cases (mobile, third-party integrations) Do not use this skill when You only need implementation guidance for a specific framework You are doing infrastructure-only work without API contracts You cannot change or version public interfaces Instructions 1. Define consumers, use cases, and constraints. 2. Choose API style and model resources or types. 3. Specify errors, versioning, pagination, and auth strategy. 4. Validate with examples and review for consistency. Refer to resources/implementation-playbook.md for detailed patterns, checklists, and templates. Resources resources/implementation-playbook.md for detailed patterns, checklists, and templates.
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills davila7/api-design-principles