11 Tips for API Design

Guidelines for building an API (particularly for life sciences): https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006542

Tip 1. Reduce support costs by providing good documentation

Tip 2. Design an API with stable, consistent, and clear URLs

Tip 3. Use standard HTTP headers to influence how clients will handle your content

Tip 4. Use appropriate standardised data formats

Tip 5. Use standard HTTP responses to influence how clients will handle your content

Tip 6. Allow your API to be used on other websites by enabling cross-origin resource sharing

Tip 7. Help clients use your API by giving them pregenerated links

Tip 8. Authenticate via a standard method

Tip 9. Keep your API running at all costs

Tip 10. Version your API and allow clients to migrate in response to your changes

Tip 11. Check whether your web framework can help you out