Summary

In this chapter, we explored how to manage API changes effectively—balancing the need for innovation with the responsibility to preserve stability and developer trust. API change management is not just a technical exercise; it’s a strategic discipline that ensures your platform evolves without disrupting existing users.

We began by understanding why change is inevitable, whether due to modernization, introducing new capabilities, or reinforcing security. Each driver demands careful planning to avoid broken integrations and to maintain a competitive advantage.

We introduced the building blocks of API change management and discussed versioning strategies—global, resource-based, and evolution-only models—and when to apply each. We highlighted how companies such as Stripe successfully balance rapid innovation with predictability by combining continuous evolution with structured versioning cycles.

A key theme was the importance of deprecation...