Openapi Generator

Skill: OpenAPI Generator

Generate complete OpenAPI 3.0/3.1 specifications from code, requirements, or existing endpoints.

Trigger

When the user asks to generate an OpenAPI spec, create Swagger documentation, document API endpoints, or produce an API contract.

Prerequisites

• [ ] API endpoints identified (routes, methods, paths)
• [ ] Request/response schemas known or inferable from code
• [ ] Authentication method known

Steps

Step 1: Gather API Information

• [ ] Scan route files to identify all endpoints
• [ ] Identify HTTP methods for each endpoint (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE)
• [ ] Identify path parameters, query parameters, request bodies
• [ ] Identify response shapes and status codes
• [ ] Identify authentication/authorization requirements
• [ ] Check for existing schema definitions (Zod, JSON Schema, TypeScript interfaces)

Step 2: Define API Metadata

openapi: "3.0.3"
info:
  title: "{{CONFIG.project.name}} API"
  description: "API documentation for {{CONFIG.project.name}}"
  version: "1.0.0"
  contact:
    name: "API Support"
    email: "[API_SUPPORT_EMAIL]"
servers:
  - url: "[API_BASE_URL]/api/v1"
    description: "Production"
  - url: "[API_BASE_URL_STAGING]/api/v1"
    description: "Staging"

Step 3: Define Security Schemes

components:
  securitySchemes:
    BearerAuth:
      type: http
      scheme: bearer
      bearerFormat: JWT
    ApiKeyAuth:
      type: apiKey
      in: header
      name: X-API-Key

Step 4: Define Reusable Schemas

Response Envelope

components:
  schemas:
    SuccessResponse:
      type: object
      properties:
        data:
          type: object
        meta:
          $ref: "#/components/schemas/Meta"
    ErrorResponse:
      type: object
      properties:
        error:
          $ref: "#/components/schemas/Error"
        meta:
          $ref: "#/components/schemas/Meta"
    Meta:
      type: object
      properties:
        correlationId:
          type: string
          format: uuid
        timestamp:
          type: string
          format: date-time
    Error:
      type: object
      properties:
        code:
          type: string
        message:
          type: string
        details:
          type: array
          items:
            type: object
    PaginationMeta:
      type: object
      properties:
        cursor:
          type: string
          nullable: true
        pageSize:
          type: integer
        hasMore:
          type: boolean

Entity Schemas

• [ ] Convert TypeScript interfaces / Zod schemas to OpenAPI schema objects
• [ ] Define required fields
• [ ] Add format hints (uuid, email, date-time, uri)
• [ ] Add example values for each field
• [ ] Add description for non-obvious fields
• [ ] Define enums for constrained values

Step 5: Define Endpoints

For each endpoint:

paths:
  /resource:
    get:
      summary: "List resources"
      description: "Returns a paginated list of resources"
      operationId: "listResources"
      tags:
        - "Resources"
      security:
        - BearerAuth: []
      parameters:
        - name: cursor
          in: query
          schema:
            type: string
          description: "Pagination cursor"
        - name: pageSize
          in: query
          schema:
            type: integer
            default: 20
            minimum: 1
            maximum: 100
      responses:
        "200":
          description: "Successful response"
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                allOf:
                  - $ref: "#/components/schemas/SuccessResponse"
                  - type: object
                    properties:
                      data:
                        type: array
                        items:
                          $ref: "#/components/schemas/Resource"
                      meta:
                        allOf:
                          - $ref: "#/components/schemas/Meta"
                          - $ref: "#/components/schemas/PaginationMeta"
        "401":
          description: "Unauthorized"
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: "#/components/schemas/ErrorResponse"
    post:
      summary: "Create resource"
      operationId: "createResource"
      tags:
        - "Resources"
      security:
        - BearerAuth: []
      requestBody:
        required: true
        content:
          application/json:
            schema:
              $ref: "#/components/schemas/CreateResourceRequest"
      responses:
        "201":
          description: "Created"
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                allOf:
                  - $ref: "#/components/schemas/SuccessResponse"
                  - type: object
                    properties:
                      data:
                        $ref: "#/components/schemas/Resource"
        "400":
          description: "Validation error"
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: "#/components/schemas/ErrorResponse"

Step 6: Add Common Response Codes

• [ ] 200 — Success (GET, PUT, PATCH)
• [ ] 201 — Created (POST)
• [ ] 204 — No content (DELETE)
• [ ] 400 — Validation error
• [ ] 401 — Unauthorized
• [ ] 403 — Forbidden
• [ ] 404 — Not found
• [ ] 409 — Conflict
• [ ] 429 — Rate limited
• [ ] 500 — Internal server error

Step 7: Add Examples

• [ ] Add example or examples to request bodies
• [ ] Add example or examples to responses
• [ ] Use realistic but non-PII data in examples

examples:
  CreateOrderExample:
    summary: "Create a standard order"
    value:
      customerId: "cust_abc123"
      items:
        - productId: "prod_xyz789"
          quantity: 2
      shippingAddress:
        street: "123 Main St"
        city: "Anytown"
        state: "CA"
        zip: "90210"

Step 8: Validate the Spec

• [ ] Verify all $ref references resolve
• [ ] Verify all required fields are listed
• [ ] Verify examples match schemas
• [ ] Check for consistent naming (camelCase for fields, kebab-case for paths)
• [ ] Verify no real URLs, secrets, or PII in the spec

Step 9: Output

• [ ] Generate as YAML (preferred) or JSON
• [ ] Save to docs/api/openapi.yaml or project-standard location
• [ ] Provide instructions for viewing: Swagger UI, Redoc, or Stoplight

Rules

• ALWAYS use OpenAPI 3.0.3 or 3.1.0
• ALWAYS include operationId for every endpoint
• ALWAYS document all response codes (success and error)
• ALWAYS use $ref for reusable schemas — no duplication
• NEVER include real URLs, secrets, or PII in the spec
• NEVER use any or untyped fields — be explicit
• Follow the project's response envelope pattern: { data, meta, errors }
• Use tags to group related endpoints
• Alphabetize paths and sort methods (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE)

Completion

Complete OpenAPI spec file ready to serve via Swagger UI, Redoc, or import into Postman/Insomnia.

If a Step Fails

• Can't infer schemas from code: Ask the user for TypeScript interfaces or example payloads
• Too many endpoints: Generate a skeleton first, fill in details incrementally
• Schema conflicts: Validate with npx @redocly/cli lint openapi.yaml
• Missing auth info: Default to BearerAuth, ask user to confirm

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: girijashankarj
• Source: girijashankarj/cursor-handbook
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.