WSO2 API Management Guidelines¶

A guide detailing best practices for creating robust, scalable, and secure APIs, ensuring alignment with industry standards for optimal design.

Rule Name	Severity	Description
api-name-required	Error	API `name` is required.
api-name-no-special-characters	Error	API `name` should not contain whitespaces or special characters except for hyphens, underscores, and periods.
api-name-length	Error	API `name` should be between 1 and 50 characters.
api-context-required	Error	The API `context` field must be present and start with a slash (`/`).
api-context-no-special-characters	Error	API `context` should not contain whitespaces or special characters except for hyphens, underscores, periods, and forward slashes.
api-context-length	Error	API `context` should be between 1 and 200 characters.
api-context-cannot-end-with-slash	Error	API `context` should not end with a trailing slash (`/`).
api-version-required	Error	The API `version` must be specified and not empty.
api-business-owner-email-format	Error	The business owner's email must be in a valid format.
api-technical-owner-email-format	Error	The technical owner's email must be in a valid format.
api-endpointConfig-production-required	Error	A production endpoint must be provided.
api-resources-security-required	Error	Security must be enabled for all API resources.
api-name-cannot-contain-version	Warn	API `name` should not contain a semantic version substring (e.g., x.y.z).
api-context-cannot-contain-version	Warn	API `context` should not contain the version (e.g., x.y.z).
api-no-unlimited-business-plan	Warn	API should not have an unlimited business plan.
api-no-insecure-transports	Warn	API should not allow insecure transports.
api-tags	Warn	API should have tags.
api-tags-count	Warn	API should have at least one tag.
api-tags-alphabetical	Warn	API tags should be listed in alphabetical order.
api-business-owner-email	Warn	The business owner's email must be provided.
api-business-owner	Warn	The business owner must be set.
api-technical-owner	Warn	The technical owner must be set.
api-technical-owner-email	Warn	The technical owner's email must be provided.
api-no-unlimited-throttling-policy	Warn	API should not have an unlimited throttling policy.
api-endpointConfig-sandbox-suggestion	Info	A sandbox endpoint for testing is recommended.

Detailed Rules¶

api-name-required¶

Description: API name is required.

Severity: Error

Invalid Example

data:
  description: Sample description.

Valid Example

data:
  name: CustomerProfileAPI
  description: Sample description.

api-name-no-special-characters¶

Description: API name should not contain whitespaces or special characters except for hyphens, underscores, and periods.

Severity: Error

Invalid Example

data:
  name: Customer Profile!@#
  description: Sample description.

Valid Example

data:
  name: Customer_Profile-API
  description: Sample description.

api-name-length¶

Description: API name should be between 1 and 50 characters.

Severity: Error

Invalid Example

data:
  name: 
  description: Sample description.

Valid Example

data:
  name: CustomerProfileAPI
  description: Sample description.

api-context-required¶

Description: The API context field must be present and start with a slash (/).

Severity: Error

Invalid Example

data:
  context: customer
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  context: /customer
  description: Sample API description.

api-context-no-special-characters¶

Description: API context should not contain whitespaces or special characters except for hyphens, underscores, periods, and forward slashes.

Severity: Error

Invalid Example

data:
  context: /customer api@!
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  context: /customer_api
  description: Sample API description.

api-context-length¶

Description: API context should be between 1 and 200 characters.

Severity: Error

Invalid Example

data:
  context: 
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  context: /customer-api
  description: Sample API description.

api-context-cannot-end-with-slash¶

Description: API context should not end with a trailing slash (/).

Severity: Error

Invalid Example

data:
  context: /customer-api/
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  context: /customer-api
  description: Sample API description.

api-version-required¶

Description: The API version must be specified and not empty.

Severity: Error

Invalid Example

data:
  version: 
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  version: 1.0.0
  description: Sample API description.

api-business-owner-email-format¶

Description: The business owner's email must be in a valid format.

Severity: Error

Invalid Example

data:
  businessInformation:
    businessOwnerEmail: invalid-email
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  businessInformation:
    businessOwnerEmail: owner@example.com
  description: Sample API description.

api-technical-owner-email-format¶

Description: The technical owner's email must be in a valid format.

Severity: Error

Invalid Example

data:
  businessInformation:
    technicalOwnerEmail: "invalid-email"
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  businessInformation:
    technicalOwnerEmail: "tech@example.com"
  description: Sample API description.

api-endpointConfig-production-required¶

Description: A production endpoint must be provided.

Severity: Error

Invalid Example

data:
  endpointConfig: 
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  endpointConfig:
    production_endpoints:
      url: "https://api.example.com"
  description: Sample API description.

api-resources-security-required¶

Description: Security must be enabled for all API resources.

Severity: Error

Invalid Example

data:
  operations:
    - name: getCustomerData
      authType: None
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  operations:
    - name: getCustomerData
      authType: OAuth2
  description: Sample API description.

api-name-cannot-contain-version¶

Description: API name should not contain a semantic version substring (e.g., x.y.z).

Severity: Warn

Invalid Example

data:
  name: CustomerProfileAPI-1.2.3
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  name: CustomerProfileAPI
  description: Sample API description.

api-context-cannot-contain-version¶

Description: API context should not contain the version (e.g., x.y.z).

Severity: Warn

Invalid Example

data:
  context: /customer/1.2.3
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  context: /customer
  description: Sample API description.

api-no-unlimited-business-plan¶

Description: API should not have an unlimited business plan.

Severity: Warn

Invalid Example

data:
  policies:
    - Unlimited
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  policies:
    - Gold
    - Silver
  description: Sample API description.

api-no-insecure-transports¶

Description: API should not allow insecure transports.

Severity: Warn

Invalid Example

data:
  transport:
    - http
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  transport:
    - https
  description: Sample API description.

api-tags¶

Description: API should have tags.

Severity: Warn

Invalid Example

data:
  tags: []
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  tags:
    - customer
    - finance
  description: Sample API description.

api-tags-count¶

Description: API should have at least one tag.

Severity: Warn

Invalid Example

data:
  tags: []
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  tags:
    - finance
  description: Sample API description.

api-tags-alphabetical¶

Description: API tags should be listed in alphabetical order.

Severity: Warn

Invalid Example

data:
  tags:
    - finance
    - customer
    - analytics
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  tags:
    - analytics
    - customer
    - finance
  description: Sample API description.

api-business-owner-email¶

Description: The business owner's email must be provided.

Severity: Warn

Invalid Example

data:
  businessInformation:
    businessOwnerEmail: 
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  businessInformation:
    businessOwnerEmail: owner@example.com
  description: Sample API description.

api-business-owner¶

Description: The business owner must be set.

Severity: Warn

Invalid Example

data:
  businessInformation:
    businessOwner: 
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  businessInformation:
    businessOwner: John Doe
  description: Sample API description.

api-technical-owner¶

Description: The technical owner must be set.

Severity: Warn

Invalid Example

data:
  businessInformation:
    technicalOwner: 
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  businessInformation:
    technicalOwner: Jane Doe
  description: Sample API description.

api-technical-owner-email¶

Description: The technical owner's email must be provided.

Severity: Warn

Invalid Example

data:
  businessInformation:
    technicalOwnerEmail: 
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  businessInformation:
    technicalOwnerEmail: tech@example.com
  description: Sample API description.

api-no-unlimited-throttling-policy¶

Description: API should not have an unlimited throttling policy.

Severity: Warn

Invalid Example

data:
  operations:
    - name: getCustomerData
      throttlingPolicy: Unlimited
  description: Sample API description.

Valid Example

data:
  operations:
    - name: getCustomerData
      throttlingPolicy: Gold
  description: Sample API description.

api-endpointConfig-sandbox-suggestion¶

Description: A sandbox endpoint for testing is recommended.

Severity: Info