Integrate with external APIs, REST, GraphQL, web services, SDKs, and
Scanned 9/20/2026
Install to Claude Code
npx -y skills add ruskicoder/system-prompts --skill api-integration --agent claude-codeInstalls into .claude/skills of the current project.
Are you the author of Api Integration?
Add the live security badge to your README — it updates automatically with every re-scan.
[](https://www.skillsdirectory.com/skills/ruskicoder-api-integration-system-prompts)More formats (shields.io, HTML) on the badges page.
---
name: api-integration
description: Integrate with external APIs, REST, GraphQL, web services, SDKs, and
third-party tools. Use when connecting external services, managing API keys securely,
handling authentication (OAuth, JWT, API keys), implementing network retry logic,
or configuring HTTP client libraries.
argument-hint: <API name, endpoint, or service>
---
<!-- Generated from skills/api-integration.md by tools/generate_integrations.py. Edit the source file, not this one. -->
# Skill: API Integration & External Services
## Purpose
Integrate with external APIs, web services, libraries, and third-party tools. _Source: Cursor (Category E)_
## Tools Required
- HTTP/fetch tools _Source: OpenAI (Category C)_
- Package management commands _Source: Augment (Category E)_
- API key configuration tools _Source: Replit (Category G)_
## General Principles
- Use best-suited external APIs and packages without asking permission _Source: Augment (Category E)_
- Match API/package versions to existing dependency management files _Source: Amp (Category E)_
- Never hardcode API keys — use environment variables _Source: Kiro (Category E)_
- Point out when an external API requires a key _Source: Replit (Category G)_
## API Selection
- Check if the project already uses a similar API/library — reuse it _Source: Amp (Category E)_
- Choose versions compatible with existing dependency manifests _Source: Amp (Category E)_
- Prefer well-established, maintained libraries _Source: Amp (Category E)_
- For new projects: use latest stable version _Source: Amp (Category E)_
```python
# API version selection priority:
1. Already present in dependency management file → use that version _Source: Amp (Category E)_
2. Compatible with existing major version range → use latest in that range _Source: Amp (Category E)_
3. No existing deps → use latest stable _Source: Amp (Category E)_
```
## API Key & Secret Handling
- NEVER hardcode secrets in source code _Source: Kiro (Category E)_
- NEVER commit .env files with real secrets _Source: Kiro (Category E)_
- Use environment variables: `process.env.API_KEY` _Source: Warp (Category G)_
- Point out required keys to user: "You'll need to set OPENAI_API_KEY in your .env" _Source: Replit (Category G)_
- For local dev, suggest .env files (and ensure they're in .gitignore) _Source: Factory (Category G)_
## REST API Integration
- Use appropriate HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH) _Source: Amp (Category E)_
- Handle response status codes properly _Source: Amp (Category E)_
- Implement error handling for network failures _Source: Amp (Category E)_
- Add request/response logging for debugging _Source: Amp (Category E)_
- Set reasonable timeouts (default: 30s) _Source: Amp (Category E)_
## GraphQL API Integration
- Use query batching for multiple requests _Source: Amp (Category C)_
- Handle partial error responses _Source: Amp (Category E)_
- Implement pagination for list queries _Source: Amp (Category E)_
## Authentication Patterns
- API Key (header-based): `Authorization: Bearer <key>` _Source: OpenAI (Category C)_
- OAuth 2.0: redirect → code → token flow _Source: OpenAI (Category C)_
- Basic Auth: `Authorization: Basic <base64>` _Source: OpenAI (Category C)_
- JWT: decode for debugging, verify expiry _Source: Amp (Category E)_
## Tool/CLI Integration
- For local tools: check if installed before using, provide install instructions if not _Source: Factory (Category P)_
- For npm packages: check package.json before suggesting _Source: Augment (Category E)_
- Prefer npx/pnpx for one-off tool runs _Source: Augment (Category E)_
## Example Patterns
### Node.js/Express API call
```javascript
const response = await fetch("https://api.example.com/v1/data", {
method: "POST",
headers: {
"Content-Type": "application/json",
"Authorization": `Bearer ${process.env.API_KEY}`
},
body: JSON.stringify({ query: "data" })
});
if (!response.ok) {
throw new Error(`API error: ${response.status} ${response.statusText}`);
}
const data = await response.json();
```
### Python API call
```python
import requests
response = requests.post(
"https://api.example.com/v1/data",
headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['API_KEY']}"},
json={"query": "data"},
timeout=30
)
response.raise_for_status()
data = response.json()
```
## Error Recovery
- Network errors: retry with exponential backoff (max 3 retries) _Source: Amp (Category E)_
- Rate limiting: respect Retry-After headers _Source: Amp (Category E)_
- Auth errors: check credentials, don't retry blindly _Source: Amp (Category E)_
- Server errors (5xx): retry, may be transient _Source: Amp (Category E)_
- Client errors (4xx): don't retry — fix the request _Source: Amp (Category E)_
## Domain-Specific Knowledge
When integrating with specific platforms, learn their domain model: _Source: Amp (Category H)_
- **Notion**: workspaces, pages, databases, properties, views, data sources _Source: Notion (Category S)_
- **GitHub**: repos, issues, PRs, commits, actions, releases _Source: Factory (Category O)_
- **Slack**: channels, messages, threads, users, workspace _Source: Amp (Category S)_
- **Linear**: teams, issues, cycles, projects, workflows _Source: Amp (Category S)_
Check the platform's documentation for exact API schemas. _Source: Amp (Category H)_
Is this your skill, or is something wrong with this listing? Request removal or report an issue. Author removals are honored within 72 hours.
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!