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API and Interface Design

A skill that guides Claude to design stable, hard-to-misuse REST/GraphQL endpoints, module boundaries, and type contracts.

Dev & CodingIntermediate42345AI score 8/10Last updated: Sep 13, 2026

What it does

Gives Claude a concrete rulebook for designing public interfaces.

  • Contract first: define typed input/output before implementing
  • Consistent error semantics: a single { error: { code, message, details } } shape plus an HTTP status mapping table
  • Validate at boundaries only: route handlers, forms, third-party responses (always untrusted), env loading — trust types internally
  • Prefer addition over modification: optional new fields instead of type changes or removals
  • Deep idempotency-key guidance: key derivation, atomic claim via unique constraint, payload-hash guard, in-flight duplicate strategies (409 / wait / 202), retention windows
  • Naming conventions table, rationalization rebuttals, red flags, and a final verification checklist

Who it's for

  • Backend engineers designing or refactoring REST/GraphQL APIs
  • Tech leads defining module boundaries and cross-team contracts
  • Anyone building payment/order flows where retries can double-charge
  • API reviewers who need a consistent standard

Examples

  1. "Design a REST API for task management" → resource paths, pagination envelope, PATCH partial updates, uniform error bodies
  2. "Add an Idempotency-Key to our charge endpoint" → stable key derivation, unique-constraint claim, 422 on same key with different payload
  3. "Is adding this field to our existing API safe?" → backward-compatibility rules checked through the lens of Hyrum's Law

· · · Install guide · · ·

Try it now, no install

Paste this into Claude to use the skill without installing anything.

Read the instructions in this file and follow them to help me:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aiskillstore/marketplace/HEAD/pending/addyosmani/api-and-interface-design/SKILL.md

What I want: (describe your task here)

If Claude can't open the link, open it yourself and paste the contents instead.

If it works for you, download the ZIP below and install it. Then it runs on its own — no pasting each time.

Install in the Claude app (no terminal)
  1. Download the ZIP with the button below.
  2. In Claude, open Settings → Capabilities and turn on 'Code execution and file creation'. (one time)
  3. Go to Customize → Skills → + → 'Upload a skill' and upload the ZIP.
Download ZIP
Install in Claude Code

Let Claude do it — paste this into Claude Code

Install the skill I found on Claude Skill Mart.
Copy the pending/addyosmani/api-and-interface-design folder from the GitHub repo aiskillstore/marketplace into my ~/.claude/skills/api-and-interface-design/.
When it's done, tell me in one line what this skill can do.

Install with a command instead

git clone https://github.com/aiskillstore/marketplace.git && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r marketplace/pending/addyosmani/api-and-interface-design ~/.claude/skills/

This is a third-party skill. Check the source repository before installing.

  1. Open a terminal.
  2. Clone the repo: git clone https://github.com/aiskillstore/marketplace.git
  3. Create the skills folder: mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
  4. Copy the skill: cp -r marketplace/pending/addyosmani/api-and-interface-design ~/.claude/skills/
  5. Verify that ~/.claude/skills/api-and-interface-design/SKILL.md exists.
  6. Restart Claude Code and ask something like "design a REST API for ..." — the skill will be picked up automatically.