/api-changelog-versioning

name: api-changelog-versioning
description: Creates comprehensive API changelogs documenting breaking changes, deprecations, and migration strategies for API consumers. Use when managing API versions, communicating breaking changes, or creating upgrade guides.
license: MIT

API Changelog & Versioning

Document API changes with clear migration paths and deprecation timelines.

Changelog Structure

# API Changelog

## v3.0.0 (2025-01-15) - Breaking Changes

### Breaking Changes
- Response format now follows JSON:API specification
- Authentication switched from API tokens to JWT Bearer

### Migration Steps
1. Update base URL to `/api/v3`
2. Replace `Authorization: Token xxx` with `Authorization: Bearer xxx`
3. Update response parsing for new envelope format

## v2.5.0 (2024-12-01) - Features

### New Features
- Webhook support for order events
- Batch operations endpoint
- Field filtering via `?fields=` parameter

### Improvements
- 56% faster response times on /products
- Enhanced error messages with field-specific suggestions

Deprecation Schedule

| Version | Status | Support Until | |---------|--------|---------------| | v3.x | Current | Full support | | v2.x | Maintenance | 2025-06-01 | | v1.x | EOL | Unsupported |

Version Support Policy

• **Current**: Full support, new features
• **Maintenance**: Bug fixes and security only
• **EOL**: No support, remove from docs

Migration Guide Template

## Migrating from v2 to v3

### Before (v2)
```json
{ "user_name": "john" }

After (v3)

{ "data": { "type": "user", "attributes": { "name": "john" } } }

Steps

1. Update SDK to v3.x 2. Modify response handlers 3. Test in staging environment 4. Update production

## Best Practices

- Provide 3-6 months deprecation notice
- Include before/after code examples
- Mark breaking changes prominently
- Maintain backward compatibility when feasible
- Version via URL path (`/api/v1/`) for clarity