backend-patterns
Backend architecture patterns, API design, database optimization, and server-side best practices for Node.js, Express, and Next.js API routes.
Best use case
backend-patterns is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt. It is especially useful for teams working in multi. Backend architecture patterns, API design, database optimization, and server-side best practices for Node.js, Express, and Next.js API routes.
Backend architecture patterns, API design, database optimization, and server-side best practices for Node.js, Express, and Next.js API routes.
Users should expect a more consistent workflow output, faster repeated execution, and less time spent rewriting prompts from scratch.
Practical example
Example input
Use the "backend-patterns" skill to help with this workflow task. Context: Backend architecture patterns, API design, database optimization, and server-side best practices for Node.js, Express, and Next.js API routes.
Example output
A structured workflow result with clearer steps, more consistent formatting, and an output that is easier to reuse in the next run.
When to use this skill
- Use this skill when you want a reusable workflow rather than writing the same prompt again and again.
When not to use this skill
- Do not use this when you only need a one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- Do not use it if you cannot install or maintain the related files, repository context, or supporting tools.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/backend-patterns/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How backend-patterns Compares
| Feature / Agent | backend-patterns | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Backend architecture patterns, API design, database optimization, and server-side best practices for Node.js, Express, and Next.js API routes.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# Backend Development Patterns
Backend architecture patterns and best practices for scalable server-side applications.
## API Design Patterns
### RESTful API Structure
```typescript
// ✅ Resource-based URLs
GET /api/markets # List resources
GET /api/markets/:id # Get single resource
POST /api/markets # Create resource
PUT /api/markets/:id # Replace resource
PATCH /api/markets/:id # Update resource
DELETE /api/markets/:id # Delete resource
// ✅ Query parameters for filtering, sorting, pagination
GET /api/markets?status=active&sort=volume&limit=20&offset=0
```
### Repository Pattern
```typescript
// Abstract data access logic
interface MarketRepository {
findAll(filters?: MarketFilters): Promise<Market[]>
findById(id: string): Promise<Market | null>
create(data: CreateMarketDto): Promise<Market>
update(id: string, data: UpdateMarketDto): Promise<Market>
delete(id: string): Promise<void>
}
class SupabaseMarketRepository implements MarketRepository {
async findAll(filters?: MarketFilters): Promise<Market[]> {
let query = supabase.from('markets').select('*')
if (filters?.status) {
query = query.eq('status', filters.status)
}
if (filters?.limit) {
query = query.limit(filters.limit)
}
const { data, error } = await query
if (error) throw new Error(error.message)
return data
}
// Other methods...
}
```
### Service Layer Pattern
```typescript
// Business logic separated from data access
class MarketService {
constructor(private marketRepo: MarketRepository) {}
async searchMarkets(query: string, limit: number = 10): Promise<Market[]> {
// Business logic
const embedding = await generateEmbedding(query)
const results = await this.vectorSearch(embedding, limit)
// Fetch full data
const markets = await this.marketRepo.findByIds(results.map(r => r.id))
// Sort by similarity
return markets.sort((a, b) => {
const scoreA = results.find(r => r.id === a.id)?.score || 0
const scoreB = results.find(r => r.id === b.id)?.score || 0
return scoreA - scoreB
})
}
private async vectorSearch(embedding: number[], limit: number) {
// Vector search implementation
}
}
```
### Middleware Pattern
```typescript
// Request/response processing pipeline
export function withAuth(handler: NextApiHandler): NextApiHandler {
return async (req, res) => {
const token = req.headers.authorization?.replace('Bearer ', '')
if (!token) {
return res.status(401).json({ error: 'Unauthorized' })
}
try {
const user = await verifyToken(token)
req.user = user
return handler(req, res)
} catch (error) {
return res.status(401).json({ error: 'Invalid token' })
}
}
}
// Usage
export default withAuth(async (req, res) => {
// Handler has access to req.user
})
```
## Database Patterns
### Query Optimization
```typescript
// ✅ GOOD: Select only needed columns
const { data } = await supabase
.from('markets')
.select('id, name, status, volume')
.eq('status', 'active')
.order('volume', { ascending: false })
.limit(10)
// ❌ BAD: Select everything
const { data } = await supabase
.from('markets')
.select('*')
```
### N+1 Query Prevention
```typescript
// ❌ BAD: N+1 query problem
const markets = await getMarkets()
for (const market of markets) {
market.creator = await getUser(market.creator_id) // N queries
}
// ✅ GOOD: Batch fetch
const markets = await getMarkets()
const creatorIds = markets.map(m => m.creator_id)
const creators = await getUsers(creatorIds) // 1 query
const creatorMap = new Map(creators.map(c => [c.id, c]))
markets.forEach(market => {
market.creator = creatorMap.get(market.creator_id)
})
```
### Transaction Pattern
```typescript
async function createMarketWithPosition(
marketData: CreateMarketDto,
positionData: CreatePositionDto
) {
// Use Supabase transaction
const { data, error } = await supabase.rpc('create_market_with_position', {
market_data: marketData,
position_data: positionData
})
if (error) throw new Error('Transaction failed')
return data
}
// SQL function in Supabase
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION create_market_with_position(
market_data jsonb,
position_data jsonb
)
RETURNS jsonb
LANGUAGE plpgsql
AS $$
BEGIN
-- Start transaction automatically
INSERT INTO markets VALUES (market_data);
INSERT INTO positions VALUES (position_data);
RETURN jsonb_build_object('success', true);
EXCEPTION
WHEN OTHERS THEN
-- Rollback happens automatically
RETURN jsonb_build_object('success', false, 'error', SQLERRM);
END;
$$;
```
## Caching Strategies
### Redis Caching Layer
```typescript
class CachedMarketRepository implements MarketRepository {
constructor(
private baseRepo: MarketRepository,
private redis: RedisClient
) {}
async findById(id: string): Promise<Market | null> {
// Check cache first
const cached = await this.redis.get(`market:${id}`)
if (cached) {
return JSON.parse(cached)
}
// Cache miss - fetch from database
const market = await this.baseRepo.findById(id)
if (market) {
// Cache for 5 minutes
await this.redis.setex(`market:${id}`, 300, JSON.stringify(market))
}
return market
}
async invalidateCache(id: string): Promise<void> {
await this.redis.del(`market:${id}`)
}
}
```
### Cache-Aside Pattern
```typescript
async function getMarketWithCache(id: string): Promise<Market> {
const cacheKey = `market:${id}`
// Try cache
const cached = await redis.get(cacheKey)
if (cached) return JSON.parse(cached)
// Cache miss - fetch from DB
const market = await db.markets.findUnique({ where: { id } })
if (!market) throw new Error('Market not found')
// Update cache
await redis.setex(cacheKey, 300, JSON.stringify(market))
return market
}
```
## Error Handling Patterns
### Centralized Error Handler
```typescript
class ApiError extends Error {
constructor(
public statusCode: number,
public message: string,
public isOperational = true
) {
super(message)
Object.setPrototypeOf(this, ApiError.prototype)
}
}
export function errorHandler(error: unknown, req: Request): Response {
if (error instanceof ApiError) {
return NextResponse.json({
success: false,
error: error.message
}, { status: error.statusCode })
}
if (error instanceof z.ZodError) {
return NextResponse.json({
success: false,
error: 'Validation failed',
details: error.errors
}, { status: 400 })
}
// Log unexpected errors
console.error('Unexpected error:', error)
return NextResponse.json({
success: false,
error: 'Internal server error'
}, { status: 500 })
}
// Usage
export async function GET(request: Request) {
try {
const data = await fetchData()
return NextResponse.json({ success: true, data })
} catch (error) {
return errorHandler(error, request)
}
}
```
### Retry with Exponential Backoff
```typescript
async function fetchWithRetry<T>(
fn: () => Promise<T>,
maxRetries = 3
): Promise<T> {
let lastError: Error
for (let i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++) {
try {
return await fn()
} catch (error) {
lastError = error as Error
if (i < maxRetries - 1) {
// Exponential backoff: 1s, 2s, 4s
const delay = Math.pow(2, i) * 1000
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay))
}
}
}
throw lastError!
}
// Usage
const data = await fetchWithRetry(() => fetchFromAPI())
```
## Authentication & Authorization
### JWT Token Validation
```typescript
import jwt from 'jsonwebtoken'
interface JWTPayload {
userId: string
email: string
role: 'admin' | 'user'
}
export function verifyToken(token: string): JWTPayload {
try {
const payload = jwt.verify(token, process.env.JWT_SECRET!) as JWTPayload
return payload
} catch (error) {
throw new ApiError(401, 'Invalid token')
}
}
export async function requireAuth(request: Request) {
const token = request.headers.get('authorization')?.replace('Bearer ', '')
if (!token) {
throw new ApiError(401, 'Missing authorization token')
}
return verifyToken(token)
}
// Usage in API route
export async function GET(request: Request) {
const user = await requireAuth(request)
const data = await getDataForUser(user.userId)
return NextResponse.json({ success: true, data })
}
```
### Role-Based Access Control
```typescript
type Permission = 'read' | 'write' | 'delete' | 'admin'
interface User {
id: string
role: 'admin' | 'moderator' | 'user'
}
const rolePermissions: Record<User['role'], Permission[]> = {
admin: ['read', 'write', 'delete', 'admin'],
moderator: ['read', 'write', 'delete'],
user: ['read', 'write']
}
export function hasPermission(user: User, permission: Permission): boolean {
return rolePermissions[user.role].includes(permission)
}
export function requirePermission(permission: Permission) {
return async (request: Request) => {
const user = await requireAuth(request)
if (!hasPermission(user, permission)) {
throw new ApiError(403, 'Insufficient permissions')
}
return user
}
}
// Usage
export const DELETE = requirePermission('delete')(async (request: Request) => {
// Handler with permission check
})
```
## Rate Limiting
### Simple In-Memory Rate Limiter
```typescript
class RateLimiter {
private requests = new Map<string, number[]>()
async checkLimit(
identifier: string,
maxRequests: number,
windowMs: number
): Promise<boolean> {
const now = Date.now()
const requests = this.requests.get(identifier) || []
// Remove old requests outside window
const recentRequests = requests.filter(time => now - time < windowMs)
if (recentRequests.length >= maxRequests) {
return false // Rate limit exceeded
}
// Add current request
recentRequests.push(now)
this.requests.set(identifier, recentRequests)
return true
}
}
const limiter = new RateLimiter()
export async function GET(request: Request) {
const ip = request.headers.get('x-forwarded-for') || 'unknown'
const allowed = await limiter.checkLimit(ip, 100, 60000) // 100 req/min
if (!allowed) {
return NextResponse.json({
error: 'Rate limit exceeded'
}, { status: 429 })
}
// Continue with request
}
```
## Background Jobs & Queues
### Simple Queue Pattern
```typescript
class JobQueue<T> {
private queue: T[] = []
private processing = false
async add(job: T): Promise<void> {
this.queue.push(job)
if (!this.processing) {
this.process()
}
}
private async process(): Promise<void> {
this.processing = true
while (this.queue.length > 0) {
const job = this.queue.shift()!
try {
await this.execute(job)
} catch (error) {
console.error('Job failed:', error)
}
}
this.processing = false
}
private async execute(job: T): Promise<void> {
// Job execution logic
}
}
// Usage for indexing markets
interface IndexJob {
marketId: string
}
const indexQueue = new JobQueue<IndexJob>()
export async function POST(request: Request) {
const { marketId } = await request.json()
// Add to queue instead of blocking
await indexQueue.add({ marketId })
return NextResponse.json({ success: true, message: 'Job queued' })
}
```
## Logging & Monitoring
### Structured Logging
```typescript
interface LogContext {
userId?: string
requestId?: string
method?: string
path?: string
[key: string]: unknown
}
class Logger {
log(level: 'info' | 'warn' | 'error', message: string, context?: LogContext) {
const entry = {
timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
level,
message,
...context
}
console.log(JSON.stringify(entry))
}
info(message: string, context?: LogContext) {
this.log('info', message, context)
}
warn(message: string, context?: LogContext) {
this.log('warn', message, context)
}
error(message: string, error: Error, context?: LogContext) {
this.log('error', message, {
...context,
error: error.message,
stack: error.stack
})
}
}
const logger = new Logger()
// Usage
export async function GET(request: Request) {
const requestId = crypto.randomUUID()
logger.info('Fetching markets', {
requestId,
method: 'GET',
path: '/api/markets'
})
try {
const markets = await fetchMarkets()
return NextResponse.json({ success: true, data: markets })
} catch (error) {
logger.error('Failed to fetch markets', error as Error, { requestId })
return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Internal error' }, { status: 500 })
}
}
```
**Remember**: Backend patterns enable scalable, maintainable server-side applications. Choose patterns that fit your complexity level.Related Skills
python-design-patterns
Python design patterns including KISS, Separation of Concerns, Single Responsibility, and composition over inheritance. Use when making architecture decisions, refactoring code structure, or evaluating when abstractions are appropriate.
design-system-patterns
Build scalable design systems with design tokens, theming infrastructure, and component architecture patterns. Use when creating design tokens, implementing theme switching, building component libraries, or establishing design system foundations.
woocommerce-backend-dev
Add or modify WooCommerce backend PHP code following project conventions. Use when creating new classes, methods, hooks, or modifying existing backend code. **MUST be invoked before writing any PHP unit tests.**
vercel-composition-patterns
React composition patterns that scale. Use when refactoring components with boolean prop proliferation, building flexible component libraries, or designing reusable APIs. Triggers on tasks involving compound components, render props, context providers, or component architecture.
ui-component-patterns
Build reusable, maintainable UI components following modern design patterns. Use when creating component libraries, implementing design systems, or building scalable frontend architectures. Handles React patterns, composition, prop design, TypeScript, and component best practices.
backend-testing
Write comprehensive backend tests including unit tests, integration tests, and API tests. Use when testing REST APIs, database operations, authentication flows, or business logic. Handles Jest, Pytest, Mocha, testing strategies, mocking, and test coverage.
zapier-make-patterns
No-code automation democratizes workflow building. Zapier and Make (formerly Integromat) let non-developers automate business processes without writing code. But no-code doesn't mean no-complexity - these platforms have their own patterns, pitfalls, and breaking points. This skill covers when to use which platform, how to build reliable automations, and when to graduate to code-based solutions. Key insight: Zapier optimizes for simplicity and integrations (7000+ apps), Make optimizes for power
workflow-patterns
Use this skill when implementing tasks according to Conductor's TDD workflow, handling phase checkpoints, managing git commits for tasks, or understanding the verification protocol.
workflow-orchestration-patterns
Design durable workflows with Temporal for distributed systems. Covers workflow vs activity separation, saga patterns, state management, and determinism constraints. Use when building long-running processes, distributed transactions, or microservice orchestration.
wcag-audit-patterns
Conduct WCAG 2.2 accessibility audits with automated testing, manual verification, and remediation guidance. Use when auditing websites for accessibility, fixing WCAG violations, or implementing accessible design patterns.
unity-ecs-patterns
Master Unity ECS (Entity Component System) with DOTS, Jobs, and Burst for high-performance game development. Use when building data-oriented games, optimizing performance, or working with large entity counts.
stride-analysis-patterns
Apply STRIDE methodology to systematically identify threats. Use when analyzing system security, conducting threat modeling sessions, or creating security documentation.