Networking

Use REST with consistent conventions. Follow the platform API guidelines (Microsoft, Google,

Evolve APIs additively; when versioning is unavoidable pick one scheme and run a header-driven deprecation lifecycle.

Use HTTP caching headers. The server controls cache policy; the client honors it.

Select an API style from consumer needs and traffic shape: REST for resource CRUD, gRPC for internal RPC, GraphQL for client-driven aggregation.

Author the OpenAPI document before implementing endpoints and treat it as the linted, machine-readable contract.

For apps that must work offline, design for local-first with background sync.

Prefer **cursor pagination** for most APIs — stable under concurrent mutations, consistent

Choose the simplest technique that meets your needs.