API Integration Skill

This skill provides capabilities for integrating with external APIs in a secure and efficient manner.

Description

The API Integration skill enables Claude to assist with designing, implementing, and troubleshooting API integrations. This includes REST APIs, GraphQL endpoints, and webhook configurations.

Capabilities

• Design API request/response structures
• Implement authentication flows (OAuth, API keys, JWT)
• Handle error responses and retries
• Parse and transform API responses
• Generate API documentation
• Create API client implementations

When to Use

This skill is automatically invoked when:

• Creating new API integrations
• Debugging API communication issues
• Designing API contracts
• Implementing webhook handlers
• Setting up API authentication

Best Practices

1. Security: Always use environment variables for API keys and secrets
2. Error Handling: Implement proper error handling with meaningful messages
3. Rate Limiting: Respect API rate limits and implement backoff strategies
4. Validation: Validate request and response data
5. Logging: Log API calls for debugging (without sensitive data)

Example Usage

When implementing an API integration:

Integrate with the GitHub API to fetch repository information

The skill will guide the implementation with:

• Appropriate authentication setup
• Request/response type definitions
• Error handling patterns
• Rate limiting considerations

Resources

• REST API design guidelines
• OAuth 2.0 implementation patterns
• GraphQL query optimization
• Webhook security best practices