API Versioning Strategy

Managing API evolution without breaking clients.

Context

You are planning API versioning. Minimize breaking changes; deprecate gracefully.

Domain Context

• URL Versioning: /v1/users, /v2/users; easy to debug
• Header Versioning: Accept: application/vnd.api+json;version=1; cleaner URLs
• No Versioning: Add fields, never remove; extend don't replace
• Deprecation: Announce, support for N months, then remove
• Backward Compatibility: Old clients still work on new server

Instructions