# Simple API key authentication
import requests
headers = {"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"}
response = requests.get("https://api.example.com/data", headers=headers)
print(response.json())
```

### Provide tooling that fits developers' workflows

A great API should integrate seamlessly into developers' existing workflows and tools. Start with a virtual testing environment where developers can experiment safely without affecting production data. Including a **Run in Postman** button lets developers instantly import the API collection and start testing with minimal setup. Well-maintained SDKs that are regularly updated based on developer feedback complete the toolkit.

Add type safety features that enterprise teams need - strongly typed responses and request validation help prevent runtime errors and make integration more reliable.

By offering these tools and maintaining them diligently, meeting developers where they are, reducing set-up friction, and allowing them to integrate into the API into their existing workflows effortlessly.

### Make the API self-service

Developers don't want to jump through hoops to get started. The entire process from onboarding to key generation and integration should be self-service. Clear, public documentation and interactive playgrounds help developers explore the API without needing support.

The key to a smooth self-service experience is continuous improvement. Update the documentation based on developer feedback, add examples for common use cases as they are discovered, and keep changelog entries clear and accessible. When breaking changes are unavoidable, provide comprehensive migration guides that walk developers through the transition.

Enterprise teams especially benefit from comprehensive guides that help them navigate compliance requirements and security implementations.

### Keep the API stable and reliable

**Stability is the foundation of trust between API providers and consumers.** If the API is constantly changing, developers will lose confidence in the platform since they can't rely on it to work consistently. Preserve backward compatibility whenever possible, and when breaking changes are needed, provide clear migration paths. Quick bug fixes show developers their time is valued and improves trust in the platform.

**Reliability means different things to different users.** Enterprise teams need clear rate limits, consistent error messages, and long deprecation notices. Solo developers need quick bug fixes and responsive support. Document the rate limits clearly and provide status pages that show real-time API health.

**Version the API thoughtfully.** When breaking changes are unavoidable, maintain support for older versions during a reasonable transition period. Stay connected to the developer community through support channels, documentation surveys, and forums — their feedback is the roadmap to improvement.

Think of the dashboard as more than just a control panel, it's a trust-building platform that gives developers confidence in the API's reliability and shows commitment to their success.

### Above all: Choose boring technology (it works)

The foundation of great developer experience is a well-designed, intuitive API. No amount of documentation or tooling can compensate for an overcomplicated API design.

REST is _almost_ always the right choice for an API. While alternatives like [GraphQL](https://graphql.org/) offer powerful features, they also introduce complexity that most applications don't need. Unless there are specific use-cases that demand more flexibility, stick with REST - it's well-understood, widely supported, and gets the job done.

Remember, most people don't need the engineering patterns used by tech giants. Start simple, and only add complexity when real usage demands it. The goal is to make life easier for developers, not to just to have fun playing around with the latest architectural patterns.

However, sometimes, breaking conventions can dramatically improve developer experience. Discord's Rich Presence API is a great example:

<div className="mx-auto max-w-md">
  ![Discord Rich Presence](/assets/api-design/discord-rich-presence.png)
</div>

Instead of REST, they use RPC for real-time updates about user activity:

```python