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TypeSpec documentation
Learn how to use TypeSpec to create consistent, high-quality APIs efficiently and
integrate them seamlessly with existing toolchains.
Getting started
ｅ OVERVIEW
About TypeSpec
Installation
API language
ｅ OVERVIEW
Basics
Directives
Decorators
Type relations
Linters
OpenAPI3 emitter
Resources
ｉ REFERENCE
Playground
Blog
Community
What is TypeSpec?
Article • 05/07/2025
TypeSpec is a powerful and flexible language by Microsoft for describing APIs. It allows
developers to define APIs in an extensible and easy-to-understand way. With TypeSpec, you
can generate API specifications, client code, and server-side code directly from your API
definition using a robust system of emitters. TypeSpec is an open source project developed by
Microsoft and supported by the community.
A key strength of TypeSpec is that it enables the creation of modular, reusable components.
This makes TypeSpec code more concise and ensures compliance with API guidelines. The
standard TypeSpec library includes an OpenAPI emitter, ensuring compatibility with existing
tools and workflows.
As an open source language, TypeSpec can describe any API, not just Azure APIs. This
versatility makes it a valuable tool for API developers, architects, and managers who need to
deliver high-quality APIs in a complex and evolving environment.
Benefits of TypeSpec
Simplifies API Development: Provides a clear and concise way to define APIs, allowing
developers to focus on logic and functionality.
Accelerates Deployment: TypeSpec enables rapid service and client code generation from
a single API definition, streamlining deployment and ensuring consistency.
Ensures Compliance: Uses reusable components to adhere to established guidelines and
standards, reducing errors and inconsistencies.
Enhances Compatibility: Includes an OpenAPI emitter for compatibility with existing tools
and workflows, making integration easier.
Supports Extensibility: Flexible and extensible, allowing customization and extension of
API definitions for various scenarios.
Accelerates Migration: OpenApiMigration tool eases transition to TypeSpec for faster
adoption.
As an open-source project , TypeSpec benefits from community contributions and feedback,
ensuring continuous improvement based on real-world use cases.
API design is challenging
TypeSpec addresses common challenges in API design, governance, and implementation:
Complex Specifications: Writing, reviewing, and maintaining API specifications can be
cumbersome. Even a simple API can result in hundreds of lines of specification code.
Protocol Diversity: Each protocol has its own specification format, with no shared design
language across protocols. This fragmentation complicates the development process.
Governance Issues: Without a unified design language, governing APIs becomes difficult,
leading to inconsistencies in implementation and quality.
Scalability Concerns: As the number of APIs or API versions increases, more engineering
teams are required, which can lead to coordination challenges and inefficiencies.
By addressing these challenges, TypeSpec simplifies the API design process, ensures
consistency across different protocols, and enhances overall governance and scalability.
TypeSpec API development workflow
The following diagram illustrates the key stages involved in developing APIs with TypeSpec.
The process starts with two options: creating a new API specification from scratch or migrating
from an existing OpenAPI spec. Once you begin, the API is defined using TypeSpec, using its
modular and reusable components. The TypeSpec compiler then processes these definitions,
using a robust set of emitters to automatically generate API specifications, client code, and
server-side stub code. Finally, the generated artifacts are integrated with existing toolchains,
ensuring a smooth and consistent workflow.
Workflow Steps
ﾉ Expand table
Step Description
Start Begin by writing a new API specification using TypeSpec or migrating from an
existing OpenAPI spec.
TypeSpec Define the API using TypeSpec. Reusable components make the API concise and
Definition ensure compliance with guidelines.
TypeSpec The compiler processes the TypeSpec definitions to prepare them for code
Compiler generation.
Generation Dedicated emitters automatically generate the API specification, client code, and
server-side stub code.
Integration The generated outputs are seamlessly integrated into existing API toolchains.
Paths from the TypeSpec Compiler:
The TypeSpec compiler can generate outputs for OpenAPI specifications, client code, and
server-side stub code concurrently if needed, while still allowing you to trigger each output
independently based on your project requirements.
1. Generate OpenAPI Specifications
The OpenAPI emitter produces a standardized API description format.
2. Generate Client-Side Code
The client code emitter creates code for consuming the API.
3. Generate Server-Side Stub Code
The service-side emitter generates server stub code to kickstart API implementation.
Comprehensive code generation with TypeSpec
Client code generation
TypeSpec streamlines client code generation by automatically creating code to consume APIs
directly from TypeSpec definitions. This process leverages key capabilities such as standard
runtime interfaces that ensure seamless integration, custom code extensibility to tailor the
output for specific client needs, and comprehensive generation that spans the entire
development stack. As a result, developers can maintain consistency across applications,
reduce manual coding effort, and quickly integrate APIs with existing toolchains while enjoying
a more efficient and scalable development workflow.
Languages supported:
.NET
Java
JavaScript
Python
Server code generation
TypeSpec supports generating server-side stub code directly from TypeSpec definitions. This
streamlines the development process and ensures consistency across client and server
implementations.
Languages supported:
.NET
JavaScript
Key capabilities:
Standard Runtime Interfaces: The standard emitter focuses on generating runtime
interfaces initially, ensuring flexibility and easy integration with various runtime stacks.
Custom Code Extensibility: TypeSpec emitters offer custom code extensibility, allowing
developers to tailor the generated code to specific needs, making it adaptable to different
environments.
Comprehensive Code Generation: TypeSpec supports code generation across the entire
development stack, from clients to servers, including different protocols and asset types,
ensuring a unified development approach.
By using TypeSpec’s service-side code generation capabilities, developers can reduce manual
coding, improve consistency, and enhance overall productivity.
Interoperability with industry toolchain
TypeSpec seamlessly integrates with existing industry toolchains, ensuring interoperability, and
enhancing productivity. By generating OpenAPI specifications from TypeSpec definitions,
developers can use a vast ecosystem of tools designed for OpenAPI, such as Swagger for API
documentation, Postman for API testing, and Azure API Management for deploying APIs. This
includes configuring API gateways, generating client and server code, and validating API data.
This compatibility allows teams to maintain their current workflows while benefiting from the
structured and consistent API design that TypeSpec provides.
Great developer experience
Developer integrations include a Visual Studio Code extension and Visual Studio . These
integrations provide efficient and error-free coding with features like autocompletion, syntax
highlighting, build-time error identification, symbol renaming, and document formatting. For
example, when writing TypeSpec definitions in Visual Studio Code, the extension provides real-
time autocompletion and syntax highlighting, making it easier to write correct and consistent
API definitions.
Additionally, the TypeSpec Playground offers an interactive environment where developers
can experiment with TypeSpec syntax and features in real-time . This web-based tool provides
immediate feedback and validation, making it easier to learn and adopt TypeSpec. The
interactive, hands-on experience provided by the TypeSpec Playground deepens developers'
understanding and proficiency, ultimately resulting in more consistent, higher-quality API
designs. These tools collectively improve the developer experience by streamlining the
development process, reducing the likelihood of errors, and accelerating the learning curve for
new team members.
To further support developers transitioning from existing APIs, the OpenApiMigration tool
provides an efficient way to convert OpenAPI specifications into TypeSpec definitions. This
migration tool simplifies and accelerates the adoption of TypeSpec while preserving the
integrity of your existing API documentation. Three migration examples include:
Convert component schemas into models
Convert component parameters into models or fields
Convert path routes to operations
Real-World uses
TypeSpec has been successfully used in various industries to streamline API design and
development. Here are a few examples:
E-commerce: An online retail platform used TypeSpec to design and document their API,
enabling seamless integration with third-party services and improving the overall
developer experience.
Finance: A financial services company adopted TypeSpec to ensure consistency and
compliance across their APIs, reducing the time and effort required for API governance.
Healthcare: A healthcare provider used TypeSpec to design APIs for patient data
management, ensuring data consistency and security across their systems.
Open source support
We value and encourage your ideas, feedback, and contributions to help improve the
project.
For more information on how to contribute, refer to the contributor guide .
If you have questions or need assistance, feel free to ask the community or submit an
issue on GitHub .
Learn more
Enjoy these YouTube videos for a deeper dive on TypeSpec:
APIs at scale with TypeSpec
Schema-first API design using TypeSpec
TypeSpec 101
Using TypeSpec for Open Finance Standards
Related content
TypeSpec.io
TypeSpec Playground
TypeSpec Community
Resources for developing TypeSpec
apps
Article • 03/04/2025
This article provides the best learning resources for developers who are getting started
building TypeSpec apps. These resources help you understand the fundamentals of
TypeSpec, explore advanced features, and integrate TypeSpec into your development
workflow.
Official documentation
The TypeSpec Documentation is the primary resource for learning about TypeSpec. It
includes comprehensive guides, API references, and tutorials to help you get started
using TypeSpec.
Getting started guide
The Getting Started Guide for OpenAPI guide is an introduction to TypeSpec using
concepts that are familiar to developers that either build or use API definitions in
OpenAPI v2 or v3.
TypeSpec playground
The TypeSpec Playground is an interactive web-based tool where you can experiment
with TypeSpec syntax and features in real-time. It provides immediate feedback and
validation, making it easier to learn and adopt TypeSpec.
Language reference
The language Reference provides detailed information about TypeSpec's core
concepts, functions, and modules. It's an essential resource for understanding the full
capabilities of TypeSpec and how to use them effectively.
Community and Support
Join the TypeSpec Community to connect with other developers, ask questions, and
share your experiences. The community forum and chat channels are great places to get
help and stay updated on the latest TypeSpec developments.
Videos
Watch videos to see TypeSpec in action. These recordings cover various topics, including
API design best practices, TypeSpec features, and real-world use cases.
APIs at scale with TypeSpec
Schema-first API design using TypeSpec
TypeSpec 101
Using TypeSpec for Open Finance Standards
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