About backend-development
backend-development is a reference skill for planning and implementing backend systems. It covers API design, security, databases, performance, testing, deployment, and operations, with technology-selection guidance and focused reference files.
Key features
- 01Guidance for REST, GraphQL, and gRPC APIs
- 02Authentication and security practices
- 03Database and performance recommendations
- 04Architecture, testing, and CI/CD guidance
- 05Technology selection and implementation checklists
Use cases
- 01Plan an API and its authentication
- 02Choose a backend stack for a project
- 03Review database and caching approaches
- 04Organize testing and deployment work
Install
Copy the command and run it in a terminal.
npx skills add https:/ / github.com/ mrgoonie/ claudekit-skills --skill backend-developmentAfter installing, type/backend-developmentin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.
Bundled files
References and scripts installed along with SKILL.md.
references/backend-api-design.mdbackend-architecture.mdbackend-authentication.mdbackend-code-quality.mdbackend-debugging.mdbackend-devops.mdbackend-mindset.mdbackend-performance.mdbackend-security.mdbackend-technologies.mdbackend-testing.mdDetails
From the project READMEBackend Development Skill
Production-ready backend development with modern technologies, best practices, and proven patterns.
When to Use
- Designing RESTful, GraphQL, or gRPC APIs
- Building authentication/authorization systems
- Optimizing database queries and schemas
- Implementing caching and performance optimization
- OWASP Top 10 security mitigation
- Designing scalable microservices
- Testing strategies (unit, integration, E2E)
- CI/CD pipelines and deployment
- Monitoring and debugging production systems
Technology Selection Guide
Languages: Node.js/TypeScript (full-stack), Python (data/ML), Go (concurrency), Rust (performance) Frameworks: NestJS, FastAPI, Django, Express, Gin Databases: PostgreSQL (ACID), MongoDB (flexible schema), Redis (caching) APIs: REST (simple), GraphQL (flexible), gRPC (performance)
See: references/backend-technologies.md for detailed comparisons
Reference Navigation
Core Technologies:
backend-technologies.md- Languages, frameworks, databases, message queues, ORMsbackend-api-design.md- REST, GraphQL, gRPC patterns and best practices
Security & Authentication:
backend-security.md- OWASP Top 10 2025, security best practices, input validationbackend-authentication.md- OAuth 2.1, JWT, RBAC, MFA, session management
Performance & Architecture:
backend-performance.md- Caching, query optimization, load balancing, scalingbackend-architecture.md- Microservices, event-driven, CQRS, saga patterns
Quality & Operations:
backend-testing.md- Testing strategies, frameworks, tools, CI/CD testingbackend-code-quality.md- SOLID principles, design patterns, clean codebackend-devops.md- Docker, Kubernetes, deployment strategies, monitoringbackend-debugging.md- Debugging strategies, profiling, logging, production debuggingbackend-mindset.md- Problem-solving, architectural thinking, collaboration
Key Best Practices (2025)
Security: Argon2id passwords, parameterized queries (98% SQL injection reduction), OAuth 2.1 + PKCE, rate limiting, security headers
Performance: Redis caching (90% DB load reduction), database indexing (30% I/O reduction), CDN (50%+ latency cut), connection pooling
Testing: 70-20-10 pyramid (unit-integration-E2E), Vitest 50% faster than Jest, contract testing for microservices, 83% migrations fail without tests
DevOps: Blue-green/canary deployments, feature flags (90% fewer failures), Kubernetes 84% adoption, Prometheus/Grafana monitoring, OpenTelemetry tracing
Quick Decision Matrix
| Need | Choose |
|---|---|
| Fast development | Node.js + NestJS |
| Data/ML integration | Python + FastAPI |
| High concurrency | Go + Gin |
| Max performance | Rust + Axum |
| ACID transactions | PostgreSQL |
| Flexible schema | MongoDB |
| Caching | Redis |
| Internal services | gRPC |
| Public APIs | GraphQL/REST |
| Real-time events | Kafka |
Implementation Checklist
API: Choose style → Design schema → Validate input → Add auth → Rate limiting → Documentation → Error handling
Database: Choose DB → Design schema → Create indexes → Connection pooling → Migration strategy → Backup/restore → Test performance
Security: OWASP Top 10 → Parameterized queries → OAuth 2.1 + JWT → Security headers → Rate limiting → Input validation → Argon2id passwords
Testing: Unit 70% → Integration 20% → E2E 10% → Load tests → Migration tests → Contract tests (microservices)
Deployment: Docker → CI/CD → Blue-green/canary → Feature flags → Monitoring → Logging → Health checks
Resources
- OWASP Top 10: https://owasp.org/www-project-top-ten/
- OAuth 2.1: https://oauth.net/2.1/
- OpenTelemetry: https://opentelemetry.io/