In the coming months, you’ll want to make sure your API Product is usable by Agents.
Here’s your checklist to plan your Q4 and 2026 Product Roadmap:
API PRODUCT
- Complete coverage of your public API.
- Have a usable Search endpoint.
- Improve your API’s quality, consistency, and adherence to standards.
- Match available APIs to desired use cases.
- Reduce API complexity! Limit API scope to minimize context size.
API DESIGN
- Overhaul your adherence to protocols, standards & conventions.
- Name things right. This helps LLMs and agents figure out your API.
- Return relevant, clear errors, and use RFC 9457 (Problem Details).
- Build Experience APIs. Don’t just CRUD your database objects.
- Slim down schema nesting & reduce complexity.
MACHINE-READABLE DOCUMENTATION
- Publish detailed and accurate API Descriptions such as OpenAPI 3.1+
- Implement a process to version, validate, and test your API Descriptions.
- Review your API documentation for complete coverage of your API.
- Provide code examples and describe workflows.
- Clearly document the use of required fields.
MCP SERVERS
- Ship an MCP Server that you maintain and control to & publish to Registries.
- Test your MCP tools and underlying APIs with LLMs and Agents.
- Aggregate APIs instead of requiring Agents to make multiple calls.
- Ship multiple MCP Servers for different domains and use cases.
- Evaluate user prompts with an inspector like MCPJam.
INFRASTRUCTURE
- Set up self-serve, instant provisioning.
- Use standard authentication methods.
- Secure your MCP Servers and ensure tools respect authorization.
- Get ready for spikes in traffic.
- Implement usage-based billing to anticipate agents paying for tool use.
In a nutshell: Simplify your APIs and prepare your infrastructure.
Get a hi-res printable version of the checklist and learn more about my course, Build AI-Ready APIs on Maven: https://lnkd.in/gc3PQgsH