API Security Best Practices

API Security Best Practices

Implement secure API design patterns including authentication, authorization, input validation, rate limiting, and protection against common API vulnerabilities

When to Use

• The request matches the skill description: Implement secure API design patterns including authentication, authorization, input validation, rate limiting, and protection against common API vulnerabilities
• The task needs the implementation patterns, examples, validation checks, or edge cases listed in the topic map.
• The work would benefit from the complete guidance preserved in references/full-guidance.md.

Core Workflow

1. Confirm the request matches this skill's trigger, scope, and risk profile.
2. Use the topic map to identify the relevant pattern, checklist, or example before writing detailed guidance or code.
3. Load references/full-guidance.md when implementation details, examples, anti-patterns, validation checks, or edge cases are needed.
4. Apply only the relevant guidance instead of loading or repeating the entire reference by default.
5. Verify the result against any validation checks, limitations, security notes, or platform constraints in the reference.

Topic Map

• Overview
• When to Use This Skill
• How It Works
• Step 1: Authentication & Authorization
• Step 2: Input Validation & Sanitization
• Step 3: Rate Limiting & Throttling
• Step 4: Data Protection
• Step 5: API Security Testing
• Examples
• Example 1: Implementing JWT Authentication
• Secure JWT Authentication Implementation
• Authentication Flow
• Implementation
• Security Best Practices
• Example 2: Input Validation and SQL Injection Prevention
• Preventing SQL Injection and Input Validation
• The Problem
• The Solution

Reference Map

• references/full-guidance.md preserves the complete original guidance, including examples and detailed edge cases.

Limitations

• Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
• Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
• Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.

Progressive Loading

Keep this SKILL.md as the compact routing and workflow entrypoint. Load the reference file only when the user task requires the deeper implementation material.