# API Module Standards

This file overrides root CLAUDE.md for everything in /src/api/

## API-Specific Standards

### Request Validation
- Use Zod for schema validation
- Always validate input
- Return 400 with validation errors
- Include field-level error details

### Authentication
- All endpoints require JWT token
- Token in Authorization header
- Token expires after 24 hours
- Implement refresh token mechanism

### Response Format

All responses must follow this structure:

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "data": { /* actual data */ },
  "timestamp": "2025-11-06T10:30:00Z",
  "version": "1.0"
}
```

Error responses:
```json
{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "VALIDATION_ERROR",
    "message": "User message",
    "details": { /* field errors */ }
  },
  "timestamp": "2025-11-06T10:30:00Z"
}
```

### Pagination
- Use cursor-based pagination (not offset)
- Include `hasMore` boolean
- Limit max page size to 100
- Default page size: 20

### Rate Limiting
- 1000 requests per hour for authenticated users
- 100 requests per hour for public endpoints
- Return 429 when exceeded
- Include retry-after header

### Caching
- Use Redis for session caching
- Cache duration: 5 minutes default
- Invalidate on write operations
- Tag cache keys with resource type

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**Last Updated**: April 9, 2026
