Coding Standards
Docs + Word8 pages
Free
- Type
- Document
- Price
- Free
- Pages
- 8 · US Letter
- Style
- Modern
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Updated
- November 5, 2026
Every page (8)
Overview
API platform teams keep reviews focused on design and correctness when the rules are settled once. This template covers resource naming, methods, error handling, pagination and versioning, with the rules grouped under clear headings. Each rule is tagged must, should or may, so engineers can see at a glance which ones block a merge and which are advice.
The sample content is written for the fictional platform Ironvale Cloud, so you can see what a finished page looks like: a rule with a short example, a risk register for error handling, a worked paging request and a versioning diagram. Replace the names, figures and examples with your own, starting with the language and tooling sections.
Useful for
- A new team agreeing its first API naming rules before writing any endpoints
- A review lead checking which rules CI enforces and which need a reviewer
- A new engineer reading the naming and error rules before a first pull request
What's included
- Resources page with naming rules, a segment table and definitions
- Methods page with a verb process and an escalation flow for disagreements
- Errors page with a likelihood and impact heat map and a risk register
- Pagination page with a cursor request, parameters table and example responses
- Versioning page with a layered architecture diagram and a sunset process
- Examples page with a worked breaking change, tip cards and a make it yours guide
How to use it
- 1
Click Make a copy in Google Docs, then confirm on the Google page. The copy is saved to your own Google Drive.
- 2
Replace Ironvale Cloud and the sample names with your own organisation, owners and figures.
- 3
Mark each rule must, should or may, and note which ones the linter or CI enforces.
- 4
Swap the sample code for a real before and after pair from your own repository.
- 5
Delete the make it yours guide page, then share the document or present it to your team.
What you need
Requirements
- A Google account with access to Google Drive
Works with
- Google Docs
- Microsoft Word (download the .docx)
Questions
Can I use this template at no cost?
Yes. Make a copy in Google Docs and the copy is yours to edit, with no sign-up and no charge for the template itself.
Can I change the rules and the layout?
Yes. Every page uses standard Google Docs styles, so you can add, remove or reword rules and change the fonts without breaking the layout.
Are the organisation and examples real?
No. Ironvale Cloud, its people, the owners and every figure in this document are fictional and written as sample content for you to replace.
- #api-design
- #coding-standards
- #rest-api
- #api-versioning
- #google-docs
- #engineering-style-guide
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