API Error Design
Design the error surface of a public API so integrators self-serve fixes - a machine-readable error-code taxonomy (flat catalog, code/subcode, Google-style domain/reason), the RFC 9457 problem-details envelope with extension members, actionable error messages, retryability signaling (retryable flag, Retry-After), and per-endpoint error documentation with request-ID tracking. Use whenever the user mentions API error codes, an error taxonomy, RFC 9457, application/problem+json, 4xx/5xx response bodies, or confusing API error messages - even if they never say "error design". Do NOT use for client-side retry mechanics - use samber/developer-platform-skills@api-idempotency-retry - nor for incident and status-page communication - use samber/developer-platform-skills@api-status-communication instead.
Security AStatic scan found no risk patternsHow grading works ›
From the source SKILL.md
You are an API error-surface designer. Design what a public API returns when a request fails - codes, envelope, messages, retry signals, documentation - so an integrator fixes the problem from the response alone instead of filing a support ticket.
What this skill does
API Error Design is a community-contributed Claude Code skill in the docs-engineering sub-category. It ships as a SKILL.md file that Claude Code auto-discovers under ~/.claude/skills/api-error-design/ and loads when your prompt matches the skill's trigger.
When to invoke it: Use whenever the user mentions API error codes, an error taxonomy, RFC 9457, application/problem+json, 4xx/5xx response bodies, or confusing API error messages - even if they never say "error design". Do NOT use for client-side retry mechanics - use samber/developer-platform-skills@api-idempotency-retry - nor for incident and status-page communication - use samber/developer-platform-skills@api-status-communication instead.
Who uses this skill
The API Error Design Claude Code skill is built for software engineers, backend developers, full-stack teams, and technical leads building and maintaining production systems. It's part of ClaudSkills (also referred to as Claude Skills or Claude Code Skills) — the open community-curated registry of 196,000+ SKILL.md files for Anthropic's Claude Code agent and the wider Claude ecosystem (Claude API, Claude Agent SDK).
How to install
Free
Manual install (2 steps)
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/api-error-design
curl -L https://claudskills.com/skills/api-error-design/SKILL.md \
-o ~/.claude/skills/api-error-design/SKILL.md
Or just download SKILL.md directly and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/api-error-design/. Claude Code auto-discovers it on next session.
Skills live at ~/.claude/skills/api-error-design/SKILL.md on macOS/Linux, or %USERPROFILE%\.claude\skills\api-error-design\SKILL.md on Windows. See the full install guide for step-by-step instructions.
Telegram
📱 Install from your phone or desktop Telegram
Open @claudskills_bot on Telegram, tap Open Desktop App, and the desktop app installs this skill for you. Or share the bot link with a colleague — they get the same one-tap install. Learn more →
Pro
One-click install via the desktop app
The ClaudSkills desktop app installs any skill directly into ~/.claude/skills/ with one click — no terminal required. Pro starts at $9/mo or $149 lifetime.
Pro
For the full experience including quality scoring and one-click install features for each skill — upgrade to Pro.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the API Error Design Claude Code skill?
Install via the ClaudSkills desktop app (one click) or copy
SKILL.md from the source repository to
~/.claude/skills/api-error-design/SKILL.md and restart Claude Code. Both flows are detailed at
claudskills.com/install/.
What does the API Error Design skill do?
Design the error surface of a public API so integrators self-serve fixes - a machine-readable error-code taxonomy (flat catalog, code/subcode, Google-style domain/reason), the RFC 9457 problem-details envelope with extension members, actionable error messages, retryability signaling (retryable flag, Retry-After), and per-endpoint error documentation with request-ID tracking. Use whenever the user mentions API error codes, an error taxonomy, RFC 9457, application/problem+json, 4xx/5xx response bodies, or confusing API error messages - even if they never say "error design". Do NOT use for client-side retry mechanics - use samber/developer-platform-skills@api-idempotency-retry - nor for incident and status-page communication - use samber/developer-platform-skills@api-status-communication instead.
Is this skill free to install?
Yes. ClaudSkills is an open registry — every skill keeps its source repository's license, and manual install via copy is free. ClaudSkills Pro ($9/mo, $79/yr, or $149 one-time) adds one-click install via the desktop app and a multi-signal Quality Score.
When should I use the API Error Design skill?
Use API Error Design when your Claude Code task falls under the Engineering category — specifically in the docs engineering area. Claude Code auto-discovers installed skills and invokes the right one based on the task description, so you can also ask Claude directly (e.g. "use API Error Design" or describe the task and let Claude pick). Browse related skills at
/category/engineering/.
What is a Claude Code skill and how does the API Error Design skill fit in?
A Claude Code skill is a
SKILL.md file that lives under
~/.claude/skills/<name>/ and tells the Claude Code CLI agent how to perform a specific task (instructions, prompts, allowed tools). Skills are auto-discovered at session start. API Error Design is one of 67,000+ skills indexed in the open ClaudSkills catalog, classified under the Engineering category. Learn more at
/learn/what-is-a-claude-skill/.
Attribution & license
Cite this skill
If you reference this skill in a blog post, paper, or documentation, you can cite it as:
APA
samber. (2026). API Error Design [Claude Code skill]. ClaudSkills. https://claudskills.com/skills/api-error-design/
BibTeX
@misc{api-error-design-2026,
author = {samber},
title = {API Error Design [Claude Code skill]},
year = {2026},
publisher = {ClaudSkills},
url = {https://claudskills.com/skills/api-error-design/}
}Embed this skill
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Badge
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Security scan
Grade A · scanned 2026-09-28 — free static scan against the OWASP Agentic Skills Top 10.
No risk patterns were found in any of the ten OWASP-aligned categories. How grading works ›
- ✓ Prompt injection
- ✓ Data exfiltration
- ✓ Supply chain
- ✓ Reverse shell
- ✓ Credentials
- ✓ Execution
- ✓ Filesystem
- ✓ Persistence
- ✓ Obfuscation
- ✓ Network
Show this grade on your repo (click to copy):
[](https://claudskills.com/skills/api-error-design/#security)
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