Best Practices

1. API Key Management

• Store keys in environment variables or secrets manager
• Use separate keys for dev/staging/production
• Rotate keys every 90 days
• Never log full API keys (only last 4-8 characters)
• Revoke compromised keys immediately

2. Request Optimization

• Cache frequently requested company data
• Batch requests when possible
• Use streaming for long queries
• Implement request deduplication
• Add timeout handling (300s recommended)

3. Error Handling

• Implement exponential backoff for retries
• Log errors with context (user, company, timestamp)
• Handle rate limits gracefully
• Provide user-friendly error messages
• Monitor error rates and alert on spikes

4. User Tracking

• Always include x-user-id header
• Use consistent user ID format
• Include additional context in x-user-name if helpful
• Never send PII in plain text (hash if needed)

5. Security

• Use HTTPS only (never HTTP)
• Validate all user inputs before sending
• Sanitize company names and queries
• Implement IP whitelisting when possible
• Monitor for unusual usage patterns

6. Performance

• Set appropriate timeout values (300s for complex queries)
• Use connection pooling for multiple requests
• Implement client-side caching
• Monitor latency and optimize slow queries
• Use streaming for better perceived performance

7. Testing

• Test with sample companies (Salesforce, Slack, etc.)
• Verify error handling for all status codes
• Test rate limit behavior
• Validate response parsing
• Run load tests before production launch

8. Monitoring

• Track request success/failure rates
• Monitor quota usage daily
• Set up alerts for error rate spikes
• Log all API interactions
• Review usage patterns regularly