API Design
Designing Idempotent APIs Without Race Conditions
Learn how to build robust HTTP idempotency using atomic state machines, payload hashing, and database-backed locks.
Topic
API Design
A collection of essays to explore, one idea at a time.
Essays
Newest first
API Design
Designing Safe APIs: The Mechanics of Idempotency Keys
How to build production-grade idempotency in REST APIs using atomic locks, response caching, and payload hashing to prevent duplicate mutations.
API Design
Stop Offset Pagination: Switch to Cursor Pagination
Learn why OFFSET pagination causes slow database queries and data drift, and how to implement fast, scalable cursor-based pagination in your REST APIs.
API Design
Stop Ignoring Idempotency: Handle Duplicate API Requests
Learn how to build resilient APIs that handle duplicate requests safely using Idempotency Keys, Redis locks, and database constraints.
AI
Agent-First APIs: Designing for Machine Consumers
As AI agents rapidly become the primary users of software, developers must shift from human Developer Experience (DX) to Agent Experience (AX).
API Design
Stop Exposing DB Models: Secure APIs with DTOs
Directly returning database models in your API responses leads to data leaks and tight coupling. Learn how Data Transfer Objects (DTOs) fix this.