Best Practices To Document API Requirements
As A Business Analyst
Diwakar Singh
Define API Purpose and Business Context
Best Practice: Clearly articulate why the API is needed and
how it fits into the business process.
Example:
• Business Case: An e-commerce platform needs an API to
integrate with a payment gateway.
• API Purpose: The API should allow users to make secure
payments via multiple payment methods.
• Why it’s a Best Practice: This ensures that technical teams
understand the business motivation and scope before
development starts.
Specify API Consumers and Stakeholders
Best Practice: Identify who will use the API—internal
systems, third-party vendors, or mobile apps.
Example:
• API Consumer: The "Order Management System" will call
the API to fetch real-time order status from the "Logistics
System."
• Why it’s a Best Practice: Helps define security, response
format, and scalability needs.
Specify API Consumers and Stakeholders
Best Practice: List all API endpoints with their functionality.
Example:
Endpoint HTTP Method Functionality
/orders/{orderId} GET Retrieve order details
/orders POST Create a new order
/orders/{orderId}/cancel PUT Cancel an order
Why it’s a Best Practice: Helps developers and testers understand the
API structure, reducing ambiguity.
Provide Detailed Request and Response Schema
Best Practice: Document expected request parameters and response
formats in JSON/XML.
Example:
Request for Creating an Order (POST /orders)
{
"customerId": 12345,
"items": [
{ "productId": "P001", "quantity": 2 }
],
"paymentMethod": "credit_card"
}
Provide Detailed Request and Response Schema
Response
{
"orderId": "ORD789",
"status": "Confirmed",
"estimatedDelivery": "2025-02-15"
}
Why it’s a Best Practice: Ensures consistency across different API
consumers.
Clearly Define Input Validation and Constraints
Best Practice: Specify rules for required fields, data formats, and
validation errors.
Example:
• customerId → Required, Integer
• productId → Required, String (Max 10 characters)
• quantity → Required, Integer (Min: 1, Max: 100)
• paymentMethod → Must be one of [“credit_card”, “paypal”,
“bank_transfer”]
Error Response for Missing Fields
{
"errorCode": "400",
"message": "Missing required field: customerId"
}
Why it’s a Best Practice: Reduces API errors due to incorrect inputs.
Define Authentication & Authorization Requirements
Best Practice: Document security measures such as OAuth, API keys,
or JWT tokens.
Example:
• Authentication: OAuth 2.0
• Required Header: Authorization: Bearer {token}
• Access Control: Only admin users can call DELETE
/orders/{orderId}
Why it’s a Best Practice: Prevents unauthorized access and aligns with
security best practices.
Document API Rate Limits and Performance Expectations
Best Practice: Define rate limits to prevent misuse.
Example:
• Rate Limit: 1000 requests per hour per user
• Response Headers:
X-RateLimit-Limit: 1000
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 750
X-RateLimit-Reset: 2025-02-10T12:00:00Z
Why it’s a Best Practice: Helps prevent server overload and ensures
fair usage.
Define Error Handling & Status Codes Clearly
Best Practice: Standardize error messages with HTTP status codes.
Example:
Status Code Description
200 OK Successful API call
issue 201 Created Resource successfully created
400 Bad Request Invalid input data
401 Unauthorized Invalid API key or token
500 Internal Server Error Unexpected server issue
Error Response for Invalid Payment Method
{ "errorCode": "400", "message": "Invalid payment method. Allowed: credit_card, paypal,
bank_transfer" }
Why it’s a Best Practice: Helps developers debug faster.
Provide API Versioning Strategy
Best Practice: Define how API changes will be managed.
Example:
• v1 → Initial version
• v2 → Introduces a new field discountCode in order requests
• URL format: /api/v1/orders
Why it’s a Best Practice: Prevents breaking changes for existing
consumers.
Include a Sample Postman Collection or OpenAPI
Specification
Best Practice: Provide interactive API documentation via Postman or
Swagger.
Example:
• Swagger URL: https://api.example.com/docs
• Postman Collection:
https://www.getpostman.com/collections/xyz123
Why it’s a Best Practice: Reduces integration time and improves
developer experience.
