API Design · Senior · Question 59 of 75

What does designing an API 'outside-in' mean?

1Writing the UI after the API is frozen
2Building the database first
✓Correct answer: Starting from consumers' use cases and workflows, then shaping resources and operations, before thinking about storage

Explanation

Inside-out APIs mirror tables; outside-in APIs fit how clients actually work.

Further reading

Google Cloud: API design guide ↗

Test yourself

Take the API Design · Senior quiz: questions and options are shuffled, and you get a review of your mistakes at the end.