Why APIs Break and What I Do Differently
Most API problems aren't technical problems — they're planning problems. An API that's designed without thinking about how it will be consumed, how it will evolve, and how it will fail under load is an API that creates work for everyone who touches it later.
I've dealt with the downstream consequences of poorly designed APIs many times: mobile apps that break whenever the backend changes a field name, integrations that fail silently because there's no error handling contract, systems that can't be debugged because there's no request logging, and authentication schemes that can't be revoked without nuking active user sessions.
When I build an API, I start from the consumer's perspective. What does the mobile app need to show on screen? What does the third-party integration need to trigger? What data does the frontend need on this particular page, and how can the endpoint be structured so it sends exactly that — not a 200-field object that the client has to pick through? That thinking is what separates an API that works from one that works today.
API Services I Provide
Custom REST API Development
Full API design and development using Laravel. Endpoints, authentication, rate limiting, pagination, filtering, sorting, and versioning — built as a coherent system with consistent patterns throughout, not endpoint-by-endpoint without a plan.
Mobile App Backend APIs
Backend APIs specifically designed for iOS and Android consumption. Push notification integration, offline sync support, optimised response payloads for mobile bandwidth, and token management that handles background refresh correctly.
Third-Party API Integrations
Connecting your application to external services: payment providers, CRM platforms, accounting software, shipping carriers, communication APIs (Twilio, SendGrid), social platforms, or any service with an HTTP API. I handle the integration, error handling, and the webhook receivers that keep your data in sync.
API Versioning & Refactoring
Taking an existing API that has accumulated technical debt and restructuring it without breaking existing clients. Version 2 routes, deprecation notices, migration guides, and a transition period where both versions run in parallel.
API Documentation
OpenAPI (Swagger) specification files and human-readable documentation that developers can actually use. I use Laravel Scribe or Postman collections to generate documentation automatically from the codebase so it stays current.
Webhooks & Event-Driven Integration
Outgoing webhook systems so your platform can notify other tools when events happen. Incoming webhook handlers for Stripe, GitHub, Shopify, or any service that sends events. Proper signature verification, idempotency handling, and retry logic.
How I Design APIs
Good API design is opinionated. There are dozens of ways to structure an endpoint and most of them produce APIs that are painful to consume. My approach follows a few firm principles:
Resource-oriented routes
Endpoints are nouns, not verbs. GET /orders not GET /getOrders. The HTTP method expresses the action. This creates predictability — a developer who knows one part of your API can guess the rest.
Consistent response envelopes
Every response follows the same structure: a data key for the payload, a meta key for pagination, and an errors key that's always present (even if empty). No surprises about response shape depending on which endpoint you're calling.
Versioned from day one
The URL includes the version: /api/v1/. This means you can ship breaking changes to v2 without touching v1 clients. I build v2 even if it's identical to v1 initially — the habit saves headaches later.
Typed, validated inputs
All input is validated with Laravel Form Requests before it reaches the controller. The validation error response is standardised so clients always know where to find field errors and what format they'll be in.
Authentication that works at scale
Sanctum for SPA and mobile authentication, Passport for third-party OAuth flows. Token scopes so API keys can be issued with limited permissions. Revocation that doesn't require server restarts.
Rate limiting that's configurable per client
Global rate limits with per-route overrides. Enterprise clients can be given higher limits. Rate limit headers in every response so clients know where they stand before they hit a 429.
Third-Party Integrations I've Built
A significant part of API work is connecting your application to services that already exist. Some of the integrations I've implemented for clients and employers:
- Stripe
- PayPal / Braintree
- GoCardless
- Klarna
- SendGrid
- Mailgun
- Twilio SMS
- Firebase Push
- Royal Mail API
- DPD
- FedEx
- EasyPost aggregator
- HubSpot
- Salesforce
- Pipedrive
- Zoho CRM
- Google Analytics 4
- Segment
- Mixpanel
- Amplitude
- GitHub
- Slack
- Zapier webhooks
- Make (Integromat)
Authentication and Security
API security is an area where the difference between a careful implementation and a careless one can be significant. The things I pay attention to on every API build:
- Token storage — I don't store plain-text tokens. Sanctum and Passport both hash tokens in the database. The token the client holds is useless if your database is compromised.
- Scope controls — API keys can be issued with read-only, write, or specific resource scopes. A key issued for one integration can't be used to access another part of the API.
- Input sanitisation — All input is validated and typed before it reaches any database query. SQL injection is prevented at the ORM level; mass assignment is prevented with explicit fillable lists.
- CORS configuration — Controlled at the Laravel middleware level. Only specified origins can call the API from a browser context.
- Webhook signature verification — Every incoming webhook is verified against the sending service's signature header (Stripe-Signature, GitHub's X-Hub-Signature, etc.) before processing.
- Audit logging — For sensitive data APIs (healthcare, finance), every read and write is logged with the authenticated user, timestamp, IP address, and the affected resource.
API Documentation Standards
An API without documentation is a support burden. I include documentation as part of every API project, not as an afterthought.
For internal APIs I typically deliver a Postman collection with example requests and responses for every endpoint, plus a README covering authentication, versioning, error codes, and environment setup. For public or partner-facing APIs I generate an OpenAPI 3.0 specification and host it as an interactive Swagger UI that developers can explore and test without writing any code.
The documentation is generated from the codebase where possible (using Laravel Scribe or similar) so it automatically stays in sync with code changes rather than drifting out of date.
API Performance and Reliability
An API under load behaves differently to one in development. The performance characteristics I design for from the start:
- Response caching — Read-heavy endpoints are cached at the application layer or via HTTP Cache-Control headers. A catalogue endpoint shouldn't hit the database on every request.
- N+1 query prevention — Laravel's Eager Loading is used consistently. A list endpoint that fires one query per record becomes a usability problem at 500 records and a server problem at 5,000.
- Async processing — Operations that take more than a few hundred milliseconds (file processing, sending emails, calling external APIs) are pushed to a queue and the API responds immediately with a job ID the client can poll.
- Idempotency — POST requests that create resources accept an Idempotency-Key header. Duplicate requests within the window return the original response without creating duplicate records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you audit and improve an existing API?
Yes. I'll review the existing codebase, identify security issues, performance bottlenecks, and design inconsistencies, then produce a written report with recommendations. From there we can decide which items to address immediately and which to schedule, depending on risk and resources.
Do you provide API documentation as part of the project?
Always. Postman collections for every project, OpenAPI specs for public APIs. Documentation is part of the deliverable, not an optional extra.
Can you integrate our app with a service that doesn't have an SDK?
Yes. If there's an HTTP API, I can integrate with it. I've built custom HTTP client wrappers for services with no official PHP SDK. I'll read the documentation, handle authentication (API key, OAuth, HMAC signatures — whatever the service uses), and write integration tests.
How do you handle API versioning for live products?
Carefully. For existing APIs without versions, the first step is introducing a version prefix without breaking existing clients (usually using route aliases). From there I can introduce v2 routes for endpoints that need breaking changes while v1 runs in parallel for existing integrations.