Versioning strategy for a complex internal API

on YouTube ↗19m

" summary

Internal RPC/protobuf mobile API (JSON for web) uses client‑server capability negotiation: client sends supported feature list and flags like SUPPORT_IMAGE_SIZE_VIA_URL, server returns per‑feature status (enabled/disabled, enableable by purchase). Team runs daily releases across five client families, keeps ~200 feature flags and 161 negotiable features, and uses an experimental subset (e.g. Windows Phone) for fast AB tests. Result: API evolves since 2010 with no major breaking release, desktop moved 98% to the new protocol, and dashboard plus upgrade screens drive deprecation.

AI-written summary · about

" chapters (4)

1. 0:00Introduction
2. 1:00Practical considerations
3. 5:40The problem
4. 17:55Conclusion

" related talks

• 34mEffective collaboration with backend engineersRomain Piel · droidcon London 2025
• 25mHow to Approach Retroactive API VersioningAmeya Acharya · apidays Barcelona 2019
• 35mBuilding Your API for LongevityMike Stowe · RubyConf 2014
• 50mAPI Versioning for REST: In Real Life, How Do We Do It?Alexandre Touret · DevFest Lille 2023
• 26mEvolving from a monolithic to a distributed public APIMatthew Gray · Nordic APIs Stockholm 2013
• 35mVersioning in a Microservice ArchitectureStephan Schulze · code.talks commerce 2019
• 51mHow We Maintain 100 Different Client Versions at BadooYaroslav Golub · HighLoad++ 2017
• 53mAPI Standards 2.0Michael Heap · PHP Yorkshire 2019