API Design Jul 26, 2026 10 min read
Cache-Control Explained for APIs
Choose safe API caching policies with max-age, s-maxage, private, no-cache, no-store, revalidation, and practical Java and Node.js recipes.
Category
API Design
25 articles in this category. Use this page as a focused path through related backend concepts.
API Design Jul 26, 2026 8 min read
CDN Caching Strategies for APIs
Design safe CDN cache keys, shared TTLs, revalidation, stale responses, and invalidation workflows for Java and Node.js APIs.
API Design Jul 26, 2026 6 min read
ETag and Conditional Requests Explained
Implement ETag, If-None-Match, Last-Modified, 304 responses, and safe update preconditions with Spring Boot and Express examples.
API Design Jul 26, 2026 10 min read
HTTP Cache Headers Explained
Understand Cache-Control, Age, Expires, Vary, freshness, validation, and browser versus shared cache behavior with Java and Node.js examples.
API Design Jul 26, 2026 8 min read
Preventing Sensitive Data from Being Cached
Protect authenticated and personalized API responses from browser and shared-cache leaks with safe Java and Node.js policies and tests.
API Design Jul 25, 2026 7 min read
OpenAPI Security Schemes Explained
Model bearer tokens, API keys, OAuth 2.0, and OpenID Connect in OpenAPI with Springdoc and Express examples, overrides, tests, and enforcement boundaries.
API Design Jul 18, 2026 10 min read
API Rate Limit Headers Explained
Learn how API rate limit headers communicate quotas, remaining capacity, retry timing, and client behavior across current and legacy formats.
API Design Jul 18, 2026 11 min read
API Deprecation Headers Explained
Use RFC 9745 Deprecation, deprecation links, and Sunset headers to communicate API lifecycle dates, migration guidance, and removal plans.
API Design Jul 18, 2026 7 min read
Cursor Pagination Examples for REST APIs
Build cursor pagination with stable sorting, keyset SQL, opaque signed tokens, filter binding, error handling, and Java and Node.js implementations.
API Design Jul 18, 2026 11 min read
Problem Details for HTTP APIs (RFC 9457)
Design RFC 9457 problem details for HTTP APIs with stable type URIs, safe extensions, validation errors, Spring Boot, and Node.js examples.
API Design Jul 1, 2026 5 min read
API Pagination Metadata Best Practices
Learn how to design pagination metadata for REST APIs, including pageInfo, cursors, hasNextPage, limits, totals, links, sorting, and compatibility.
API Design Jul 1, 2026 5 min read
JSON Schema vs OpenAPI Schema
Compare JSON Schema and OpenAPI Schema for backend API contracts, including validation, documentation, examples, tooling, and compatibility.
API Design Jul 1, 2026 6 min read
REST API Design Checklist
Use this REST API design checklist to review resources, methods, status codes, errors, pagination, idempotency, versioning, auth, and OpenAPI docs.
API Design Jun 30, 2026 4 min read
OpenAPI Explained for Backend Developers
Learn how OpenAPI describes REST APIs, including paths, operations, schemas, examples, auth, versioning, code generation, and contract review.
API Design Jun 30, 2026 4 min read
PUT vs PATCH in REST APIs
Compare PUT and PATCH in REST APIs, including replacement vs partial updates, idempotency, validation, status codes, and backend implementation choices.
API Design Jun 30, 2026 5 min read
Webhook Signature Verification Explained
Learn how webhook signature verification works, including HMAC headers, raw request bodies, timestamps, replay protection, secret rotation, and safe failures.
API Design Jun 29, 2026 5 min read
API Gateway Explained
Learn what an API gateway does in backend architecture, including routing, authentication, rate limiting, observability, and tradeoffs.
API Design Jun 29, 2026 5 min read
REST API Error Handling Best Practices
Learn practical REST API error handling patterns, including status codes, stable error codes, field errors, request IDs, and safe messages.
API Design Jun 29, 2026 4 min read
Webhooks Explained
Learn how webhooks work in backend systems, including event delivery, signatures, retries, idempotency, and common design mistakes.
API Design Jun 28, 2026 5 min read
API Versioning Explained
Learn practical API versioning strategies, including URL versions, header versions, backward compatibility, deprecation, and migration plans.
API Design Jun 28, 2026 5 min read
Rate Limiting in APIs Explained
Learn how API rate limiting works, including fixed windows, sliding windows, token buckets, 429 responses, headers, and backend tradeoffs.
API Design Apr 5, 2026 5 min read
Pagination Strategies for REST APIs
Compare offset, cursor, and keyset pagination for REST APIs, including tradeoffs, response shapes, sorting, and backend performance.
API Design Mar 29, 2026 6 min read
Idempotency in APIs Explained
Learn what idempotency means in API design, why retries create duplicate actions, and how idempotency keys protect backend workflows.
API Design Mar 22, 2026 5 min read
REST API Status Codes Explained
Understand the HTTP status codes backend developers use most often in REST APIs, including 200, 201, 400, 401, 404, 409, and 500.
API Design Jan 21, 2026 5 min read
REST vs RPC: How to Choose an API Style
Compare REST and RPC API styles through resources, actions, payload design, caching, versioning, and backend team workflows.