11 Tips for API Design
From charlesreid1
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