Step 6: Scaffold the API

Generate REST endpoints, validation, and the OpenAPI spec for each resource.

What you're doing in this step

Get every endpoint scaffolded in one consistent pass — same naming, same auth wiring, same error shape — so they don't drift.

Recommended prompts

Use one of these to do the work in your IDE

Open the template to read it in full. Click Copy prompt to grab it (with your stack values pre-filled where they apply) — then paste into Claude Code, Cursor, or wherever you build.

Primary recommendation 30 min

REST API Scaffolder (Node.js)

Scaffold a production-ready REST API with Express, validation, error handling, and OpenAPI docs.

nodejsexpresstypescript

View template

When you're done

Verify these in your own work before moving on

This is a checklist for you to mentally tick off in your repo and IDE — the site doesn't track it, you do.

Routes file, controller, service, and schema for each resource
OpenAPI spec generated and reviewed
Validation runs on every request body
Error responses follow a consistent shape

Common pitfalls

What goes wrong at this step

Hand-rolling each endpoint — they'll diverge by week 3
Skipping the OpenAPI spec — it's the contract your frontend reads

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Use one of these to do the work in your IDE

REST API Scaffolder (Node.js)

Verify these in your own work before moving on

What goes wrong at this step

Command Palette