API Blueprint
API Blueprint is a high-level API description language using Markdown-based syntax for designing, documenting, and prototyping web APIs. Created by Apiary and released under the MIT License, API Blueprint uses .apib files with a concise Markdown format that makes APIs accessible to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. The project is no longer actively maintained (all apiaryio GitHub repos are archived as of 2024) but remains a notable specification in API design history, influencing later formats like OpenAPI.
API Blueprint publishes 6 API contracts indexed on the APIs.io network, including Composer API, Parser API, Service Root API, and 3 more. Tagged areas include API Design, Specification Language, Markdown, Documentation, and API Description Language.
The API Blueprint catalog on APIs.io includes 1 Spectral governance ruleset.
API Blueprint’s developer surface includes documentation, CLI, changelog, support, and 21 more developer resources.
Kin Score
Standards implemented 2
Standards this provider implements or carries. De facto ones are profiled and measured by the API Commons; formal ones come from the standards directory and are linked by the provider's own tags. The evidence column says how each claim was established — not that it was made.
APIs 6
Individual APIs this provider publishes, each with its own machine-readable definition.
API Blueprint
API Blueprint is a high-level API description language using Markdown-based syntax for designing, documenting, and prototyping APIs. Files use the .apib extension with media typ...
API Blueprint Composer API
Compose an API description format from API Elements.
API Blueprint Parser API
Parse an API description format into API Elements.
API Blueprint Service Root API
Entry point listing the available affordances.
API Blueprint Transform API
Convert an API description between formats through a JSON envelope. Advertised by the live service root; absent from the provider's published contract.
API Blueprint Validate API
Validate an API description and return its annotations. Advertised by the live service root; absent from the provider's published contract.
Agent Skills 3
Packaged agent skills for driving this provider's APIs from an AI assistant.
Convert between API description formats
AGENT SKILLParse an API description into API Elements
AGENT SKILLAPI Blueprint pricing
Pricing Plans 1
Published pricing tiers and plan structures.
Rate Limits 1
Documented rate limits and quota policies.
Api Blueprint Rate Limits
RATE LIMITSFinOps 1
Cost, billing, and metering signals for API financial operations.
Api Blueprint Finops
FINOPSFeatures 5
Notable capabilities this provider offers.
Markdown-Based Syntax
API Blueprint uses concise Markdown syntax making API descriptions readable by both developers and non-technical stakeholders. Files use the .apib extension with media type text...
Data Structure Modeling
Supports reusable data structure definitions using MSON (Markdown Syntax for Object Notation) for describing complex request and response schemas.
Mock Server Generation
API Blueprint documents can drive mock server generation for rapid prototyping and front-end development before backend implementation.
Testing with Dredd
The Dredd HTTP testing tool uses API Blueprint specs to run contract tests validating that API implementations match their documented contracts.
RFC-Driven Governance
API Blueprint evolution was governed through an RFC process similar to Rust and Django, with proposals submitted to the api-blueprint-rfcs repository.
Spectral Rules 1
Spectral governance rulesets for linting and validating these APIs.
API Blueprint API Rules
SPECTRALOpenAPI Overlays 1
Overlays applied on top of this provider's contracts. Each card says who wrote it: a document the provider publishes, or one API Evangelist derived or generated.
JSON Schema 1
Standalone JSON Schema definitions for this provider's data models.
Api Blueprint Api Elements Element
JSON SCHEMASecurity Posture 2
Authentication, domain security, vulnerability disclosure, and trust-center signals.
Use Cases 3
What developers build with this provider.
API Documentation
Write human-readable API documentation in Markdown that doubles as a machine-parseable specification for tooling.
Contract Testing
Use API Blueprint specs with Dredd to verify that API implementations conform to their documented contracts in CI pipelines.
API Prototyping
Rapidly prototype APIs by writing Blueprint specs first, then generating mock servers from the specification.
Integrations 4
Pre-built integrations with other platforms and tools.
Apiary
API Blueprint was the native specification format of the Apiary platform (acquired by Oracle), which provided hosted documentation, mock servers, and testing.
Drafter Parser
The canonical API Blueprint parser written in C++ with bindings for Node.js (drafter.js, drafter-npm) and other languages.
Dredd Testing Framework
Language-agnostic HTTP API testing tool that validates live API implementations against API Blueprint or Swagger/OpenAPI specs.
Swagger Conversion
The swagger2blueprint tool converted Swagger API descriptions into API Blueprint format for migration workflows.
Resources
Get Started 1
Portal, sign-up, and the first successful call
Documentation 2
Reference material describing how the API behaves
Agent Surfaces 3
MCP servers, agent skills, and machine-readable catalogs
Design & Contract 2
Pagination, idempotency, versioning, errors, and events
Build 5
SDKs, sample code, and the tooling you integrate with
Access & Security 1
Authentication, authorization, and security posture
Learn 1
Tutorials, courses, talks, and written guidance
Operate 5
Status, limits, changes, and where to get help
Commercial 3
Pricing, plans, and the legal terms of use
Company 1
The organization behind the API
Other 1
Properties that don't map to a standard resource type
Source (apis.yml)
API Blueprint — frequently asked questions
Does API Blueprint have an API?
Yes. APIs.io lists 6 APIs from API Blueprint, including API Blueprint, API Blueprint Composer API and API Blueprint Parser API, and 3 more.
Is there an OpenAPI specification for the API Blueprint?
Yes. APIs.io indexes 5 OpenAPI specifications for API Blueprint, each linked for download from this page.
How do I authenticate with the API Blueprint?
API Blueprint uses bearer-token authentication (0 schemes). The details are profiled on APIs.io as Api Blueprint Authentication.
Is the API Blueprint ready for AI agents?
API Blueprint has a Kin Score of 39.7 out of 100 (developing) and an Agent Readiness score of 29.7 (agent-ready), scored by API Evangelist on 2026-11-06.
Work with this as data
Every provider here is available over the APIs.io API and to AI agents over MCP.