API Client Patterns

When to Use

• Setting up HTTP clients (axios, fetch, httpx) for consuming external REST APIs
• Adding request/response interceptors for logging, auth tokens, or error transformation
• Implementing retry logic with exponential backoff for transient failures
• Generating type-safe API clients from OpenAPI or Swagger specifications
• Managing authentication tokens (Bearer injection, auto-refresh on 401)

When NOT to Use

• Internal function calls or in-process service communication that does not cross a network boundary
• Database queries -- use an ORM or database driver instead
• WebSocket or real-time streaming connections -- use dedicated WebSocket client patterns
• GraphQL clients -- use a GraphQL-specific library such as Apollo or urql