Breaking change
An API update that removes or alters functionality in a way that breaks existing integrations. Example: an endpoint is renamed from `/v1/contacts` to `/v2/people`. PURIST monitors API changelog notifications and updates client workflows before breaking changes go live.
Expert insight
A vendor's "breaking change" doesn't always get communicated as clearly as it should, especially for smaller SaaS tools without a formal deprecation policy, workflows depending on third-party APIs benefit from monitoring that vendor's changelog or status page proactively, not just discovering the break when a workflow fails.
In a real workflow
An API renames a field from "phone" to "phone_number", and every workflow using it must be updated.
Common mistakes
- Not subscribing to vendors’ change logs.
- No tests to detect the break.
Complexity level
Requires some familiarity with automation concepts.
Related terms
Versioning (API)
API providers update their APIs over time and version them (v1, v2, v3) to avoid…
API (Application Programming Interface)
A set of rules that allow two software applications to communicate. Most automat…
Integration
A connection between two tools that allows data to flow between them. Can be nat…
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