api-design-principles – Coding skill for AI agents
Master REST and GraphQL API design principles to build intuitive, scalable, and maintainable APIs that delight developers and stand the test of time.
Install the api-design-principles skill with one command
Pick the tool you use, copy the command and paste it in your terminal. The skill lands in that tool's skills folder and is ready in your next session.
Claude Code
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && curl -fsSL https://skill.dn1nguoi.com/z/api-design-principles-4a348.tgz | tar xz -C ~/.claude/skills
Call it in Claude Code: /api-design-principles – then describe the task you want done.
Codex
mkdir -p ~/.codex/skills && curl -fsSL https://skill.dn1nguoi.com/z/api-design-principles-4a348.tgz | tar xz -C ~/.codex/skills
Call it in Codex: $api-design-principles – then describe the task you want done.
Hermes Agent
mkdir -p ~/.hermes/skills && curl -fsSL https://skill.dn1nguoi.com/z/api-design-principles-4a348.tgz | tar xz -C ~/.hermes/skills
Call it in Hermes Agent: /api-design-principles – then describe the task you want done.
DeepSeek
mkdir -p ~/.deepcode/skills && curl -fsSL https://skill.dn1nguoi.com/z/api-design-principles-4a348.tgz | tar xz -C ~/.deepcode/skills
Call it in DeepSeek: /api-design-principles – then describe the task you want done.
SKILL.md content
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.mdfor detailed patterns, checklists, and templates.
Limitations
- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.
Related skills
- api-designer – Generates complete, production-ready REST API endpoint specifications for any system or…
- api-documentation – API documentation workflow for generating OpenAPI specs, creating developer guides, and…
- api-documentation-generator – Generate comprehensive, developer-friendly API documentation from code, including…
- api-documenter – Master API documentation with OpenAPI 3.1, AI-powered tools, and modern developer…
- api-endpoint-builder – Builds reviewable REST API endpoint scaffolds with validation, error handling…
- api-fuzzing-bug-bounty – Provide comprehensive techniques for testing REST, SOAP, and GraphQL APIs during bug…
- api-integration – Designs event-driven architectures, webhook systems, API chaining flows, ETL pipelines…
- api-integration-architect – Design, implement, debug, and optimize API integrations with expert-level patterns for…