Dynamic API Integration

Mode: Cognitive/Prompt-Driven — No standalone utility script; use via agent context.

Dynamic API Integration

Overview

This skill teaches agents how to dynamically discover, parse, and call external HTTP APIs at runtime. It is adapted from the Universal Tool Calling Protocol (UTCP) patterns, translated into Node.js / Claude Code tool patterns.

Core workflow (5-phase, inspired by UTCP agent state machine):

1. Discover — Fetch and parse an OpenAPI/Swagger spec (or define a manual tool template).
2. Match — Map the user's intent to the right API endpoint semantically.
3. Construct — Build the HTTP request with proper method, path, params, headers, body, and auth.
4. Execute — Call the API via Bash (curl) or WebFetch and capture the response.
5. Chain — If the task is not yet complete, re-analyze and execute another call (up to max_iterations).

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Agent needs to call an external REST API it has not used before
• User provides an API URL or OpenAPI spec URL and wants data extracted
• Agent must discover available endpoints from a spec before choosing which to call
• Multiple API calls need to be chained iteratively (search -> get details -> filter)
• Agent needs to construct HTTP requests with authentication and parameters

Do NOT use when:

• The API is already wrapped as an MCP tool (use the MCP tool directly)
• The integration is a one-time hardcoded call (just use Bash curl directly)
• The API requires OAuth 2.0 authorization code flow with user-interactive redirect
• The API uses WebSocket or streaming-only protocols (not HTTP REST)

Iron Laws

1. NEVER hardcode API keys, tokens, or secrets in requests, curl commands, or source files — always use environment variables ($ENV_VAR) or a secrets manager.
2. ALWAYS discover the API spec (OpenAPI/Swagger) before writing any integration code — guessing endpoint shapes without spec evidence produces broken integrations.
3. NEVER skip pagination handling when the API returns list responses — assuming single-page results silently drops data for any dataset above the page limit.
4. ALWAYS implement retry logic with exponential backoff for transient failures (429, 503) — dynamic APIs are unreliable by nature and integrations without retries fail under normal production conditions.
5. NEVER trust API responses without validating the schema of each response before use — dynamic API shapes change without notice; unvalidated responses cause runtime crashes in callers.

Phase 1: Discover — Fetch and Parse the API Spec

Option A: OpenAPI/Swagger Spec Discovery

When the API provides an OpenAPI spec (most modern APIs do):

# Step 1: Fetch the OpenAPI spec
WebFetch({
  url: "https://api.example.com/openapi.json",
  prompt: "Extract all API endpoints. For each endpoint, list: HTTP method, path, description, required parameters, optional parameters, authentication requirement. Return as a structured list."
})

What to extract from the spec:

Common OpenAPI spec locations:

• https://api.example.com/openapi.json
• https://api.example.com/swagger.json
• https://api.example.com/v3/api-docs
• https://api.example.com/.well-known/openapi.json
• https://api.example.com/docs (HTML page may link to spec)

Option B: Manual Tool Template (No Spec Available)

When no OpenAPI spec exists, define a tool template manually:

{
  "name": "search_books",
  "description": "Search Open Library for books by query",
  "base_url": "https://openlibrary.org/search.json",
  "method": "GET",
  "auth": null,
  "parameters": {
    "q": {
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "in": "query",
      "description": "Search query (title, author, ISBN)"
    },
    "limit": {
      "type": "integer",
      "required": false,
      "in": "query",
      "description": "Max results to return (default 10)"
    },
    "page": {
      "type": "integer",
      "required": false,
      "in": "query",
      "description": "Page number for pagination"
    }
  },
  "response_hint": "Returns { numFound, docs: [{ title, author_name, first_publish_year }] }"
}

Tool Template JSON Schema

The tool template format (inspired by UTCP manual_call_templates):

{
  "name": "string (required) — unique tool identifier, lowercase_snake_case",
  "description": "string (required) — what this tool does, used for semantic matching",
  "base_url": "string (required) — full URL including path",
  "method": "string (required) — GET | POST | PUT | PATCH | DELETE",
  "content_type": "string (optional) — default: application/json",
  "auth": {
    "type": "string — api_key | bearer | basic | none",
    "header": "string — header name (e.g., X-Api-Key, Authorization)",
    "env_var": "string — environment variable name holding the secret",
    "prefix": "string (optional) — e.g., 'Bearer ' for bearer auth"
  },
  "parameters": {
    "<param_name>": {
      "type": "string | integer | boolean | array | object",
      "required": "boolean",
      "in": "query | path | header | body",
      "description": "string — what this parameter does",
      "default": "any (optional) — default value if not provided"
    }
  },
  "response_hint": "string (optional) — brief description of response shape"
}

Phase 2: Match — Semantic Intent-to-Endpoint Mapping

Before calling an API, match the user's intent to the correct endpoint:

Step 1: Understand the user's goal

Ask yourself: What data does the user want? What action do they want performed?

Step 2: Map intent to endpoint

Step 3: Select parameters

• Required parameters: Must be provided (check required: true in spec/template).
• Optional parameters: Use only if user specified them or they improve results.
• Path parameters: Substitute into URL (e.g., /repos/{owner}/{repo}).
• Query parameters: Append as ?key=value&key2=value2.
• Body parameters: Send as JSON payload in POST/PUT/PATCH.

Phase 3: Construct — Build the HTTP Request

Request Construction Checklist

1. URL: Base URL + path + path parameter substitution
2. Method: GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE
3. Headers: Content-Type, Authorization, Accept, custom headers
4. Query parameters: URL-encoded, appended to URL
5. Body: JSON payload for POST/PUT/PATCH
6. Auth: Injected from environment variable

Auth Patterns

API Key (Header):

curl -s -X GET "https://api.example.com/data?q=test" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: $API_KEY"

Bearer Token:

curl -s -X GET "https://api.example.com/data" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AUTH_TOKEN"

Basic Auth:

curl -s -X GET "https://api.example.com/data" \
  -u "$USERNAME:$PASSWORD"

No Auth (Public API):

curl -s -X GET "https://api.example.com/data?q=test"

Request Templates by Method

GET with query parameters:

curl -s -X GET "https://api.example.com/search?q=test&limit=10&page=1" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"

POST with JSON body:

curl -s -X POST "https://api.example.com/items" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -d '{"name": "New Item", "category": "tools", "price": 29.99}'

PUT with path parameter:

curl -s -X PUT "https://api.example.com/items/123" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -d '{"name": "Updated Item", "price": 39.99}'

DELETE:

curl -s -X DELETE "https://api.example.com/items/123" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"

Phase 4: Execute — Call the API and Process the Response

Using Bash (curl) — Primary Method

# Execute and capture response + HTTP status
RESPONSE=$(curl -s -w "\n%{http_code}" -X GET "https://api.example.com/search?q=test" \
  -H "Accept: application/json")
HTTP_CODE=$(echo "$RESPONSE" | tail -1)
BODY=$(echo "$RESPONSE" | sed '$d')

echo "Status: $HTTP_CODE"
echo "Body: $BODY" | head -c 2000  # Truncate to 2KB for context safety

Using WebFetch — When You Need AI Processing

WebFetch({
  url: 'https://api.example.com/search?q=test',
  prompt:
    'Extract the top 5 results with their titles and descriptions. Format as a numbered list.',
});

When to use which:

Error Handling

HTTP Status Code Handling:

Retry with Exponential Backoff:

# Retry pattern for transient errors (429, 5xx)
for attempt in 1 2 3; do
  RESPONSE=$(curl -s -w "\n%{http_code}" -X GET "$URL" -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN")
  HTTP_CODE=$(echo "$RESPONSE" | tail -1)
  if [ "$HTTP_CODE" -lt 400 ]; then
    break  # Success
  fi
  echo "Attempt $attempt failed ($HTTP_CODE), retrying in $((attempt * 2))s..."
  sleep $((attempt * 2))
done

Response Processing

Parse JSON response (Bash):

# Extract specific fields from JSON response
echo "$BODY" | node -e "
  const data = JSON.parse(require('fs').readFileSync('/dev/stdin', 'utf8'));
  console.log('Total:', data.totalResults);
  data.items?.slice(0, 5).forEach((item, i) => {
    console.log(\`\${i+1}. \${item.title} — \${item.description?.substring(0, 80)}\`);
  });
"

Truncate large responses:

# Safety: never pass >10KB of API response into context
BODY_TRUNCATED=$(echo "$BODY" | head -c 10000)
if [ ${#BODY} -gt 10000 ]; then
  echo "[TRUNCATED: Response was $(echo "$BODY" | wc -c) bytes, showing first 10KB]"
fi

Phase 5: Chain — Iterative Multi-Call Workflow

Many tasks require multiple API calls chained together. Use the UTCP-inspired iterative pattern:

Chaining Pattern

Iteration 1: Search -> Get list of results
Iteration 2: Get details for top result
Iteration 3: Perform action on result
(max_iterations guard: stop at 5)

The Iteration Guard (MANDATORY)

MAX_ITERATIONS = 5

Before each API call:
  IF iteration_count >= MAX_ITERATIONS:
    STOP. Summarize what was gathered so far and respond.
  ELSE:
    Execute the call, increment counter, re-analyze task.

Why this matters: Without an iteration guard, an agent could loop indefinitely calling APIs. UTCP uses a default of 3; we recommend 5 for more complex multi-step workflows.

Chaining Examples

Example 1: Search and Get Details

User: "Find information about the book '1984' by George Orwell"

Iteration 1:
  Call: GET https://openlibrary.org/search.json?q=1984+george+orwell&limit=5
  Result: Found 5 matches, top result has key "/works/OL1168083W"

Iteration 2:
  Call: GET https://openlibrary.org/works/OL1168083W.json
  Result: Full book details (title, description, subjects, covers)

Task complete: Return summarized book information.

Example 2: GitHub — Find and Analyze a Repository

User: "What are the most recent issues in the react repository?"

Iteration 1:
  Call: GET https://api.github.com/repos/facebook/react/issues?state=open&per_page=10&sort=created
  Headers: Authorization: Bearer $GITHUB_TOKEN
  Result: 10 most recent open issues

Task complete: Summarize issue titles, labels, and dates.

Example 3: Multi-API Chain

User: "Find news about AI safety and summarize the top article"

Iteration 1:
  Call: GET https://newsapi.org/v2/everything?q=AI+safety&sortBy=publishedAt&pageSize=5
  Headers: X-Api-Key: $NEWS_API_KEY
  Result: 5 articles with titles, URLs

Iteration 2:
  Call: WebFetch({ url: articles[0].url, prompt: "Summarize this article in 3 bullet points" })
  Result: Article summary

Task complete: Return article title + summary.

Real-World API Examples

GitHub API (Bearer Token Auth)

# List repositories for a user
curl -s -X GET "https://api.github.com/users/octocat/repos?sort=updated&per_page=5" \
  -H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $GITHUB_TOKEN"

Tool Template:

{
  "name": "github_list_repos",
  "description": "List repositories for a GitHub user, sorted by most recently updated",
  "base_url": "https://api.github.com/users/{username}/repos",
  "method": "GET",
  "auth": {
    "type": "bearer",
    "header": "Authorization",
    "env_var": "GITHUB_TOKEN",
    "prefix": "Bearer "
  },
  "parameters": {
    "username": {
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "in": "path",
      "description": "GitHub username"
    },
    "sort": {
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "in": "query",
      "description": "Sort field: created, updated, pushed, full_name",
      "default": "updated"
    },
    "per_page": {
      "type": "integer",
      "required": false,
      "in": "query",
      "description": "Results per page (max 100)",
      "default": 10
    }
  }
}

Open Library API (No Auth)

# Search for books
curl -s -X GET "https://openlibrary.org/search.json?q=george+orwell&limit=5" \
  -H "Accept: application/json"

JSONPlaceholder (Testing/Prototyping)

# GET all posts
curl -s https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts?_limit=5

# POST new item
curl -s -X POST https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"title": "Test Post", "body": "Hello world", "userId": 1}'

Weather API (API Key Auth)

# Get current weather
curl -s "https://api.open-meteo.com/v1/forecast?latitude=51.5074&longitude=-0.1278&current_weather=true"

Context Management for Large Responses

API responses can be very large. Apply these rules to prevent context overflow:

Response Size Limits

Extraction Pattern (Recommended for Large Responses)

# Instead of dumping full response, extract what you need
curl -s "https://api.example.com/search?q=test" | node -e "
  const data = JSON.parse(require('fs').readFileSync('/dev/stdin', 'utf8'));
  // Extract only what the user asked for
  const results = data.results.slice(0, 5).map(r => ({
    id: r.id,
    title: r.title,
    summary: r.description?.substring(0, 200)
  }));
  console.log(JSON.stringify(results, null, 2));
"

Security Checklist

• All API keys stored in environment variables (never in code/commands)
• HTTPS used for all API calls (never HTTP for authenticated requests)
• Response data validated before use (check status codes)
• No user secrets logged or written to files
• Rate limits respected (check headers: X-RateLimit-Remaining)
• Sensitive response data (PII, tokens) not stored in memory files
• Timeout set on all requests (curl --max-time 30)

Verification Checklist

Before completing a dynamic API integration task:

• API spec was fetched and endpoints were identified
• User intent was mapped to the correct endpoint and method
• Request includes proper authentication (if required)
• Request parameters match the API schema (required params present)
• HTTP status code was checked and errors handled
• Response was truncated/summarized if > 5KB
• Iteration count did not exceed max_iterations (5)
• No API keys were hardcoded in any command or file

Anti-Patterns (AVOID)

Quick Reference Card

DISCOVER  → WebFetch(spec_url) or define manual tool template
MATCH     → Map user intent to endpoint + method + params
CONSTRUCT → Build curl command with URL, headers, auth, body
EXECUTE   → Bash(curl) for JSON, WebFetch for HTML/summarize
CHAIN     → Re-analyze task, call again (max 5 iterations)

Auth Quick Reference:

API Key:  -H "X-Api-Key: $KEY"
Bearer:   -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"
Basic:    -u "$USER:$PASS"
None:     (no auth header needed)

Tool Template Quick Create:

{
  "name": "...",
  "description": "...",
  "base_url": "...",
  "method": "GET",
  "auth": { "type": "api_key", "header": "...", "env_var": "..." },
  "parameters": { "q": { "type": "string", "required": true, "in": "query" } }
}

Research Basis

This skill is adapted from:

• Universal Tool Calling Protocol (UTCP) — open standard for AI agent tool calling
• UTCP Agent — LangGraph-based reference implementation
• UTCP Specification — RFC and protocol definition
• OpenAPI Specification 3.1 — API description standard
• OpenAPI Best Practices — community guidelines
• agents.json Specification — API-agent contract standard
• API Integration Patterns (2026) — pattern taxonomy

Related Skills

• auth-security-expert — OAuth 2.1, JWT, encryption patterns
• nodejs-expert — Node.js HTTP patterns
• debugging — API call failure investigation
• research-synthesis — Researching new APIs before integration

Memory Protocol

Before starting: Read .claude/context/memory/learnings.md

After completing:

• New API pattern discovered -> .claude/context/memory/learnings.md
• API issue/limitation found -> .claude/context/memory/issues.md
• API design decision made -> .claude/context/memory/decisions.md
• Reusable tool template created -> save to .claude/context/memory/named/api-templates.md

Assume interruption: if it is not in memory, it did not happen.