We introduced a new API versioning policy last week. What should’ve been a 15-minute dev conversation turned into a multi-team negotiation.
Why? Because versioning isn’t just technical—it’s political.
APIs are consumed by humans. Teams invest in assumptions. So changing an endpoint means changing processes, docs, dashboards, expectations.
What worked:
- Clear deprecation timelines
- Changelogs written in plain English
- API linter checks in CI
Lesson: If your API breaks people’s trust, they stop adopting your APIs.