# Design Maturity

## API Design Maturity

> How to design an API

Every API design **MUST** be **resource-centric** ([Web API Design Maturity Model Level 2](http://amundsen.com/talks/2016-11-apistrat-wadm/2016-11-apistrat-wadm.pdf)). That is an API design **MUST** revolve around Web-styled *resources*, *relations* between the resources and the *actions* the resources may afford.

An API design **MAY** be **affordance-centric** ([Web API Design Maturity Model Level 3](http://amundsen.com/talks/2016-11-apistrat-wadm/2016-11-apistrat-wadm.pdf)).

## API Design Implementation Maturity

> How to implement the API design

Every API design implementation using the HTTP protocol **MUST** use the appropriate **HTTP Request Method** ([Richardson Maturity Model Level 2](https://martinfowler.com/articles/richardsonMaturityModel.html#level2)) to implement an action afforded by a resource.

An API design implementation **SHOULD** include **hypermedia controls** (HATEOAS) ([Richardson Maturity Model Level 3](https://martinfowler.com/articles/richardsonMaturityModel.html#level3)).


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://adidas.gitbook.io/api-guidelines/rest-api-guidelines/core-principles/design-maturity.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.