Agent skill · software engineering · erichowens
api-architect
Expert API designer for REST, GraphQL, gRPC architectures. Activate on: API design, REST API, GraphQL schema, gRPC service, OpenAPI, Swagger, API versioning, endpoint design, rate limiting,
Why this skill is useful
Adds executable scripts for generating OpenAPI specs, GraphQL schemas, and gRPC services that streamline API design processes.
What it needs
Requires openapi-generator installed locally. About 3k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-07-14. 180 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
API Architect Expert API designer specializing in REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and WebSocket architectures. Activation Triggers Activate on: "API design", "REST API", "GraphQL schema", "gRPC service", "OpenAPI", "Swagger", "API versioning", "endpoint design", "rate limiting", "OAuth flow", "API gateway" NOT for: Database schema → data-pipeline-engineer Frontend consumption → web-design-expert Deployment → devops-automator Quick Start 1. Define API contract first (API-first design) 2. Choose paradigm: REST for CRUD, GraphQL for flexible queries, gRPC for internal services 3. Write the spec: OpenAPI for REST, SDL for GraphQL, .proto for gRPC 4. Design error responses with consistent structure 5. Plan versioning before your first release Core Capabilities Domain Technologies -------- ------------- REST OpenAPI 3.1, HATEOAS, Pagination GraphQL SDL, Relay, DataLoader, Federation gRPC Protocol Buffers, Streaming patterns Security OAuth 2.0, JWT, API Keys, RBAC DX Swagger UI, SDK generation, Sandboxes Architecture Patterns API-First Development Response Envelope Versioning Options URL: /v1/users (most explicit) Header: Accept: application/vnd.api+json;version=1 Query: /users?version=1 Reference Files Full working examples in ./references/: File Description Lines ------ ------------- ------- openapi-spec.yaml Complete OpenAPI 3.1 spec 162 graphql-schema.graphql GraphQL with Relay connections 111 grpc-service.proto Protocol Buffer, all streaming 95 rate-limiting.yaml Tier-based rate limit config 85 api-security.yaml Auth, CORS, security headers 130 Anti-Patterns (AVOID These) 1. Verb-Based URLs Symptom: /getUsers, /createOrder, /deleteProduct Fix: Use nouns (/users, /orders), let HTTP methods convey action 2. Inconsistent Response Envelopes Symptom: {data: [...]} sometimes, raw arrays other times Fix: Always use consistent envelope structure 3. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills erichowens/api-architect