API Versioning Strategies

API Versioning Strategies#

APIs change. Fields get added, endpoints get restructured, response formats evolve. The question is not whether to version your API, but how. A versioning strategy determines how clients discover and select API versions, how you communicate changes, and how you eventually retire old versions.

Breaking vs Non-Breaking Changes#

Before picking a versioning strategy, you need a clear definition of what constitutes a breaking change. This determines when you need a new version versus when you can evolve the existing one.

Monolith to Microservices: When and How to Decompose

Monolith to Microservices#

The decision to break a monolith into microservices is one of the most consequential architectural choices a team makes. Get it right and you unlock independent deployment, team autonomy, and targeted scaling. Get it wrong and you trade a manageable monolith for a distributed monolith – all the complexity of microservices with none of the benefits.

When to Stay with a Monolith#

Microservices are not an upgrade from monoliths. They are a different set of tradeoffs. A well-structured monolith is the right choice in many situations.