# Buildpack API Specification

**Canonical:** https://apis.io/apis/buildpacks/buildpack-api/  
**Provider:** Cloud Native Buildpacks — https://apis.io/providers/buildpacks/  
**Documentation:** https://buildpacks.io/docs/reference/spec/buildpack-api/

Buildpack API Specification is one of 3 APIs that [Cloud Native Buildpacks](https://apis.io/providers/buildpacks/) publishes on the [APIs.io](https://apis.io/) network. Tagged areas include API Specification, Buildpacks, Container Images, and OCI. The published artifact set on APIs.io includes API documentation and a GitHub repository.

The Buildpack API defines the contract between a buildpack and the lifecycle that executes it. It specifies detect, build, and export phases, layer contribution formats, environment variable handling, and SBOM generation interfaces.

## Machine-readable artifacts (3)

- **Documentation** — https://buildpacks.io/docs/reference/spec/buildpack-api/
- **GitHubRepository** — https://github.com/buildpacks/spec
- **APIsJSON** — https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/buildpacks/refs/heads/main/apis.yml

## Other Cloud Native Buildpacks APIs (2)

- [Platform API Specification](https://apis.io/apis/buildpacks/platform-api/)
- [Distribution API Specification](https://apis.io/apis/buildpacks/distribution-api/)

## Tags

API Specification, Buildpacks, Container Images, OCI

---

Profiled by [API Evangelist](https://apievangelist.com) and published on [APIs.io](https://apis.io/apis/buildpacks/buildpack-api/). The API's provider profile, Kin Score and agent-readiness rating are at https://apis.io/providers/buildpacks/.