Building APIs for Global Developer Communities
Building APIs for Global Developer Communities When you build APIs for a global audience, you design for people as much as for machines. Latency, uptime, and clear usage policies matter just as much as endpoints. Consider users in different time zones, languages, and legal environments. An API that feels fast, respectful, and easy to learn helps developers start quickly and stay productive. Start with a simple, secure authentication flow. Use OAuth 2.0 or API keys with clearly defined scopes. Offer sensible rate limits and transparent plans for higher usage. Document error codes with actionable guidance and provide retry strategies. Consider regional routing or edge caching to reduce round trips for users far from your data centers. ...