endpointoriented

Endpointoriented is an approach to software architecture and API design that centers on defining and managing the interaction points, or endpoints, that clients use to access services. In this view, an endpoint is not merely a URL or interface, but a formal contract that specifies the available resources, acceptable actions, data formats, and behavioral expectations of a service.

The term and concept draw on established practices in API-first and contract-driven development, RESTful design, and microservices. It emphasizes that the stability and clarity of endpoints enable teams to evolve services independently, with clear boundaries for versioning, security, and governance.

Core features include contract-first design, where endpoints and data schemas are defined before implementation; stable, versioned contracts; stateless service interactions; consistent authentication and authorization at the endpoint level; observability and discoverability through documentation and tooling; and standardized error handling and response formats.

Benefits include modularity, easier service evolution, parallel development, and improved client integration. Drawbacks can include endpoint proliferation, coordination overhead across teams, potential for tight coupling if contracts are not properly managed, and the need for strong governance around versioning and compatibility.

In practice, endpointoriented design informs API governance, gateway and service mesh configurations, and API client libraries. It is commonly applied in RESTful APIs, gRPC services, and other interface-driven architectures, and is related to API-first, contract-driven development, and interface-oriented programming.