OpenAPI Overlays

The Overlay Specification is an auxiliary standard that complements the OpenAPI Specification. An OpenAPI description defines API operations, data structures, and metadata—the overall shape of an API. An Overlay lists a series of repeatable changes to apply to a given OpenAPI description, enabling transformations as part of your API workflows.

OpenAPI Overlays emerged from the need to adapt APIs for varied use cases, from improving developer experience to localizing documentation. The first version was recently released, and the roadmap is being developed within the OpenAPI Initiative.

The specification provides three constructs for augmenting an OpenAPI description: Info, Overlays, and Actions. How these are applied is being worked out across different tools and industries to accommodate the diversity of APIs being delivered.

To get involved, participate via the GitHub repository, where you’ll find discussions, meeting notes, and related topics. There’s also a dedicated channel within the broader OpenAPI Initiative Slack.

OpenAPI Overlays offer a robust way to manage the complexity of producing and consuming APIs across industries, regions, and domains. As the specification matures, it presents a strong opportunity to ensure documentation, mocks, examples, code generation, tests, and other artifacts carry the right context for different situations.

License: Apache License

Tags: Overlays

Properties: info, overlays, and actions

Website: https://spec.openapis.org/overlay/v1.0.0.html

Standards: JSON Schema