API Integration Best Practices
Follow these guidelines to build robust, efficient integrations with the OathNet API.1. Authentication
Store Keys Securely
Store Keys Securely
Never hardcode API keys. Use environment variables or secret managers:
Rotate Keys Regularly
Rotate Keys Regularly
Rotate API keys periodically:
Use Separate Keys per Environment
Use Separate Keys per Environment
Create distinct keys for dev, staging, and production:
| Environment | Key Name |
|---|---|
| Development | dev-local-john |
| CI/CD | staging-github-actions |
| Production | prod-api-server-1 |
2. Request Optimization
Use Search Sessions
Use Search Sessions
Always initialize a session for related queries:
Request Only What You Need
Request Only What You Need
Use field selection to reduce response size:
Implement Caching
Implement Caching
Cache responses to avoid redundant requests:
3. Error Handling
Handle All Error Types
Handle All Error Types
Implement Retry Logic
Implement Retry Logic
Log Errors for Debugging
Log Errors for Debugging
4. Rate Limit Management
Monitor Quota Usage
Monitor Quota Usage
Implement Request Throttling
Implement Request Throttling
5. Data Handling
Handle Large Result Sets
Handle Large Result Sets
Stream results instead of loading all into memory:
Validate Response Data
Validate Response Data
Handle Missing Fields
Handle Missing Fields
6. Security
Sanitize User Input
Sanitize User Input
Limit Data Exposure
Limit Data Exposure
Use HTTPS Only
Use HTTPS Only
7. Monitoring
Track API Metrics
Track API Metrics
Set Up Alerts
Set Up Alerts
Log Request IDs
Log Request IDs
Quick Reference
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Use environment variables for API keys | Hardcode API keys in source code |
| Initialize search sessions | Make isolated queries |
| Implement exponential backoff | Retry immediately on failure |
| Cache responses | Make redundant requests |
| Handle all error types | Ignore error responses |
| Monitor quota usage | Ignore lookups_left |
| Validate input before requests | Send unsanitized user input |