> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.xerobi.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Best Practices

> Follow these guidelines for reliable and maintainable Xerobi integrations

## Development Best Practices

Build robust, scalable integrations with Xerobi APIs following these proven patterns and principles.

### Planning Your Integration

* Understand your business requirements thoroughly
* Map out user flows and API interactions
* Identify required Xerobi API endpoints
* Plan for scalability and future growth
* Document integration scope and milestones
* Allocate time for testing and iteration

### Environment Setup

* Use separate environments (development, staging, production)
* Implement proper version control (Git)
* Set up CI/CD pipelines for automated testing
* Configure monitoring and logging from day one
* Use environment variables for configuration
* Document setup procedures for your team

### Code Quality Standards

* Follow language-specific style guides
* Implement code reviews for all changes
* Write comprehensive unit and integration tests
* Use static analysis tools (linters, formatters)
* Maintain high test coverage (>80%)
* Document code with clear comments and READMEs

### Documentation Practices

* Keep API documentation up to date
* Document integration decisions and trade-offs
* Create troubleshooting guides for common issues
* Maintain runbooks for deployment and maintenance
* Document API key management procedures
* Share knowledge across your development team

## API Design Principles

### Use Consistent Patterns

* Follow RESTful conventions for resource naming
* Use consistent HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)
* Implement proper status codes (200, 201, 400, 404, 500)
* Use JSON for all request/response bodies
* Include comprehensive error messages

### Version Your APIs

* Use date-based versioning (YYYY-MM-DD format)
* Maintain backward compatibility within versions
* Provide migration guides for breaking changes
* Deprecate old versions with advance notice
* Support multiple versions simultaneously

## Security Best Practices

### Authentication & Authorization

* Never expose API keys in client-side code
* Use environment variables for key storage
* Rotate keys regularly (every 90 days)
* Implement least-privilege access
* Use separate keys for sandbox and production
* Monitor key usage and unusual activity

### Data Protection

* Always use HTTPS for API communications
* Validate SSL certificates
* Encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit
* Implement proper input validation
* Use parameterized queries to prevent injection
* Log security events without exposing sensitive data

## Error Handling & Resilience

### Implement Comprehensive Error Handling

```javascript theme={null}
class ApiClient {
  async request(endpoint, options = {}) {
    try {
      const response = await fetch(`${this.baseUrl}${endpoint}`, {
        ...options,
        headers: {
          'Authorization': `Bearer ${this.apiKey}`,
          'Xerobi-Version': '2026-01-01',
          ...options.headers
        }
      });

      const data = await response.json();

      if (!response.ok) {
        throw new ApiError(data.error || 'Unknown error', response.status);
      }

      return data;
    } catch (error) {
      // Log error for monitoring
      this.logger.error('API request failed', {
        endpoint,
        error: error.message,
        status: error.status
      });

      throw error;
    }
  }
}
```

### Implement Retry Logic

* Use exponential backoff for retries
* Implement jitter to prevent thundering herd
* Respect rate limit headers
* Don't retry on client errors (4xx)
* Use idempotency keys for critical operations
* Set maximum retry attempts

```javascript theme={null}
async function retryWithBackoff(operation, maxRetries = 3) {
  let attempt = 0;

  while (attempt <= maxRetries) {
    try {
      return await operation();
    } catch (error) {
      if (!isRetryableError(error) || attempt === maxRetries) {
        throw error;
      }

      const delay = Math.min(1000 * Math.pow(2, attempt), 30000);
      await sleep(delay + Math.random() * 1000); // Add jitter
      attempt++;
    }
  }
}

function isRetryableError(error) {
  return error.status >= 500 || error.code === 'RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED';
}
```

## Performance Optimization

### Efficient API Usage

* Use appropriate request batching where available
* Implement caching for static data
* Use compression for large payloads
* Monitor response times and set timeouts
* Use connection pooling for high-throughput applications
* Implement request deduplication

### Resource Management

```javascript theme={null}
class ConnectionPool {
  constructor(maxConnections = 10) {
    this.maxConnections = maxConnections;
    this.activeConnections = 0;
    this.queue = [];
  }

  async acquire() {
    if (this.activeConnections < this.maxConnections) {
      this.activeConnections++;
      return this.createConnection();
    }

    return new Promise((resolve) => {
      this.queue.push(resolve);
    });
  }

  release(connection) {
    this.activeConnections--;

    if (this.queue.length > 0) {
      const resolve = this.queue.shift();
      this.activeConnections++;
      resolve(this.createConnection());
    }
  }
}
```

## Webhook Implementation

### Secure Webhook Handling

* Always verify webhook signatures
* Use HTTPS endpoints only
* Implement idempotency using event IDs
* Process webhooks asynchronously
* Return 200 status quickly to prevent retries
* Store events for debugging and audit

```javascript theme={null}
const crypto = require('crypto');

function verifyWebhookSignature(payload, signature, secret) {
  const expectedSignature = crypto
    .createHmac('sha256', secret)
    .update(JSON.stringify(payload), 'utf8')
    .digest('hex');

  return crypto.timingSafeEqual(
    Buffer.from(signature),
    Buffer.from(expectedSignature)
  );
}

app.post('/webhooks/hixbe', express.raw({ type: 'application/json' }), (req, res) => {
  const signature = req.headers['x-hixbe-signature'];

  if (!verifyWebhookSignature(req.body, signature, process.env.WEBHOOK_SECRET)) {
    return res.status(401).json({ error: 'Invalid signature' });
  }

  // Process webhook asynchronously
  processWebhook(req.body).catch(console.error);

  res.json({ received: true });
});
```

## Testing Strategies

### Comprehensive Testing

* Test in sandbox environment first
* Use realistic test data
* Test error scenarios and edge cases
* Implement integration tests
* Test webhook endpoints thoroughly
* Monitor test coverage
* Automate testing in CI/CD pipeline

### Test Data Management

```javascript theme={null}
const testData = {
  validPayment: {
    amount: 1000,
    currency: 'USD',
    description: 'Test payment'
  },

  invalidPayment: {
    amount: -100, // Invalid amount
    currency: 'INVALID',
    description: ''
  },

  edgeCases: {
    maximumAmount: { amount: 99999999, currency: 'USD' },
    minimumAmount: { amount: 1, currency: 'USD' },
    longDescription: { amount: 1000, currency: 'USD', description: 'A'.repeat(1000) }
  }
};
```

## Monitoring & Observability

### Implement Comprehensive Logging

* Log all API requests and responses
* Include correlation IDs for request tracing
* Monitor error rates and latency
* Set up alerts for critical issues
* Use structured logging (JSON format)
* Implement log aggregation and analysis

```javascript theme={null}
class Logger {
  log(level, message, context = {}) {
    const logEntry = {
      timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
      level,
      message,
      correlationId: context.correlationId || generateId(),
      ...context
    };

    console.log(JSON.stringify(logEntry));

    // Send to monitoring service
    if (level === 'error') {
      this.monitoring.alert(logEntry);
    }
  }

  info(message, context) { this.log('info', message, context); }
  error(message, context) { this.log('error', message, context); }
  warn(message, context) { this.log('warn', message, context); }
}
```

### Key Metrics to Monitor

* API response times (p50, p95, p99)
* Error rates by endpoint
* Rate limit usage
* Webhook delivery success rates
* Resource utilization
* Business metrics (conversion rates, etc.)

## Code Organization

### Maintainable Architecture

* Separate concerns (API client, business logic, data access)
* Use dependency injection
* Implement proper error boundaries
* Write comprehensive documentation
* Use consistent naming conventions
* Implement proper code reviews

```javascript theme={null}
// Good: Separated concerns
class PaymentService {
  constructor(apiClient, logger, metrics) {
    this.apiClient = apiClient;
    this.logger = logger;
    this.metrics = metrics;
  }

  async processPayment(paymentData) {
    const correlationId = generateId();

    this.logger.info('Processing payment', { correlationId, amount: paymentData.amount });

    try {
      const result = await this.apiClient.createPaymentIntent(paymentData);
      this.metrics.increment('payment.success');
      return result;
    } catch (error) {
      this.metrics.increment('payment.error');
      this.logger.error('Payment failed', { correlationId, error: error.message });
      throw error;
    }
  }
}
```

## Deployment Practices

### Safe Deployment

* Use feature flags for gradual rollouts
* Implement canary deployments
* Have rollback plans ready
* Monitor deployments closely
* Test in staging environment
* Schedule deployments during low-traffic periods

### Configuration Management

* Use environment-specific configurations
* Store secrets securely (not in code)
* Validate configuration on startup
* Document all configuration options
* Use configuration as code
* Implement configuration drift detection

## Compliance & Legal

### Data Protection

* Comply with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations
* Implement proper data retention policies
* Obtain user consent for data collection
* Provide data export/deletion capabilities
* Conduct regular security audits
* Document data processing activities

### Business Continuity

* Implement disaster recovery plans
* Regular backup testing
* Monitor system health continuously
* Have incident response procedures
* Maintain service level agreements
* Communicate transparently during outages

## Need Help?

> [card] [Quickstart](https://docs.xerobi.com/faq-guides/quickstart.md)
>
> Get started with Xerobi APIs

> [card] [Error Handling](https://docs.xerobi.com/faq-guides/error-handling.md)
>
> Handle errors gracefully

> [card] [Troubleshooting](https://docs.xerobi.com/faq-guides/troubleshooting)
>
> Solve common integration issues

> [card] [Authentication](https://docs.xerobi.com/faq-guides/authentication.md)
>
> Secure your API integration

> [card] [Webhooks](https://docs.xerobi.com/faq-guides/webhooks.md)
>
> Implement real-time notifications

> [card] [Support](mailto:support@xerobi.com)
>
> Contact our support team


## Related topics

- [Error Handling](https://docs.xerobi.com/faq-guides/error-handling.md)
- [Webhooks](https://docs.xerobi.com/faq-guides/webhooks.md)
- [RPKI API](https://docs.xerobi.com/rpki-api/introduction.md)
- [Authentication](https://docs.xerobi.com/faq-guides/authentication.md)
- [API Versioning](https://docs.xerobi.com/faq-guides/versioning.md)


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