Document API changes with clear migration paths and deprecation timelines.
Changelog Structure
# API Changelog
## v3.0.0 (2025-01-15) - Breaking Changes
### Breaking Changes
- Response format now follows JSON:API specification
- Authentication switched from API tokens to JWT Bearer
### Migration Steps
1. Update base URL to `/api/v3`
2. Replace `Authorization: Token xxx` with `Authorization: Bearer xxx`
3. Update response parsing for new envelope format
v2.5.0 (2024-12-01) - Features
New Features
- Webhook support for order events
- Batch operations endpoint
- Field filtering via
?fields=parameter
Improvements
- 56% faster response times on /products
- Enhanced error messages with field-specific suggestions
## Deprecation Schedule
| Version | Status | Support Until |
|---------|--------|---------------|
| v3.x | Current | Full support |
| v2.x | Maintenance | 2025-06-01 |
| v1.x | EOL | Unsupported |
## Version Support Policy
- **Current**: Full support, new features
- **Maintenance**: Bug fixes and security only
- **EOL**: No support, remove from docs
## Migration Guide Template
```markdown
## Migrating from v2 to v3
### Before (v2)
```json
{ "user_name": "john" }
After (v3)
{ "data": { "type": "user", "attributes": { "name": "john" } } }
Steps
- Update SDK to v3.x
- Modify response handlers
- Test in staging environment
- Update production
## Best Practices
- Provide 3-6 months deprecation notice
- Include before/after code examples
- Mark breaking changes prominently
- Maintain backward compatibility when feasible
- Version via URL path (`/api/v1/`) for clarity