This is a submission for the Xano AI-Powered Backend Challenge: Production-Ready Public API

What I Built

Title: DevTools Resource Hub API
Available: True
DevTools API’s:

1. Xano Hub API: https://xwog-4ywl-hcgl.n7e.xano.io/api:Om3nin98
2. Xano Assisted Production API: https://devtools-hub-api.onrender.com/

Software Backend Architecture

The backend follows a layered, modular design suitable for an MVP.
API endpoints expose REST interfaces, protected by authentication, rate limiting, and validation. Core business logic is isolated into services like search, recommendations, and scoring. A data access layer handles queries, caching, and transactions on PostgreSQL.
Event handling and background jobs enable scalable, asynchronous integrations.

This will give a simple representation of caching Strategy

Databases

tools

Indexes

• category_id
• slug
• is_active
• (query_count, last_queried_at)

categories

Indexes

• parent_id
• slug

pricing_tiers

Indexes

• (tool_id, is_current)
• (effective_from, effective_to)

alternatives

Constraints

• UNIQUE(tool_id, alternative_id)
• tool_id ≠ alternative_id

Indexes

• tool_id
• similarity_score DESC

reviews_aggregate

Indexes

• (tool_id, source)
• avg_rating DESC

features

Indexes

• tool_id
• feature_category
• is_available

changelog

Indexes

• (tool_id, changed_at DESC)
• change_type

integrations

Indexes

• tool_id
• integrates_with

API Documentation

Got it 👍
Below is a dev.to–friendly Markdown version of your API documentation without tables, using clean headings, bullet points, and code blocks. You can paste this directly into a dev.to article.

🚀 DevTools Resource Hub API

A public API to discover, compare, price-check, and find alternatives for developer tools.

🧰 Tools API

1️⃣ Get All Tools

Endpoint

GET /tools/

Query Parameters

• category (string, optional) – Filter by category
• price_min (number, optional) – Minimum price
• price_max (number, optional) – Maximum price
• features (array of strings, optional) – Required features
• sort (string, default: “name”) – Sorting field
• page (number, default: 1) – Page number
• size (number, default: 10) – Page size

Response

{
  "items": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "name": "VS Code",
      "description": "Code editor redefined...",
      "price": 0,
      "category": "Development"
    }
  ],
  "total": 1,
  "page": 1,
  "size": 10
}

2️⃣ Get Tool by ID

Endpoint

GET /tools/{tool_id}

Response

{
  "id": 1,
  "name": "VS Code",
  "description": "Visual Studio Code is a lightweight but powerful source code editor...",
  "price": 0,
  "category": "Development",
  "features": ["IntelliSense", "Debugging", "Git Control"]
}

3️⃣ Get Tool Alternatives

Endpoint

GET /tools/{tool_id}/alternatives

Query Parameters

• min_similarity (number, default: 50)
• limit (number, default: 10)

Response

{
  "alternatives": [
    {
      "id": 2,
      "name": "Sublime Text",
      "similarity_score": 85
    }
  ]
}

4️⃣ Get Tool Pricing

Endpoint

GET /tools/{tool_id}/pricing

Query Parameters

• include_history (boolean, default: false)

Response

{
  "tool_id": 1,
  "current_price": 0,
  "pricing_plans": [
    { "plan": "Free", "price": 0, "features": ["Basic Features"] },
    { "plan": "Pro", "price": 5, "features": ["All Features"] }
  ]
}

5️⃣ Get Tool Reviews

Endpoint

GET /tools/{tool_id}/reviews

Response

{
  "tool_id": 1,
  "average_rating": 4.8,
  "reviews": [
    {
      "user": "Developer123",
      "rating": 5,
      "comment": "Best editor I've used!",
      "date": "2023-11-15"
    }
  ]
}

6️⃣ Compare Tools

Endpoint

POST /tools/compare

Request Body

{
  "tool_ids": [1, 2, 3]
}

Response

{
  "tools": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "name": "VS Code",
      "price": 0,
      "features": ["IntelliSense", "Debugging", "Git Control"]
    },
    {
      "id": 2,
      "name": "Sublime Text",
      "price": 99,
      "features": ["Goto Anything", "Multiple Selections", "Command Palette"]
    }
  ],
  "comparison": {
    "price_range": { "min": 0, "max": 99 },
    "common_features": [],
    "unique_features": {
      "1": ["IntelliSense", "Debugging", "Git Control"],
      "2": ["Goto Anything", "Multiple Selections", "Command Palette"]
    }
  }
}

Perfect 👍
Here is the Categories API documentation converted into clean dev.to Markdown, without tables, matching the style of your Tools & Search docs.

You can paste this directly into dev.to.

/api/v1/categories

1️⃣ Get All Categories

Retrieve all categories or filter by a parent category.

Endpoint

GET /api/v1/categories/

Query Parameters

• parent_id (number, optional) – Filter by parent category ID

Response

{
  "items": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "name": "Development",
      "slug": "development",
      "parent_id": null,
      "description": "Development tools and IDEs",
      "icon": "code",
      "display_order": 1
    }
  ],
  "total": 1,
  "page": 1,
  "size": 10
}

2️⃣ Get Category by ID

Fetch details of a single category using its ID.

Endpoint

GET /api/v1/categories/{category_id}

Response

{
  "id": 1,
  "name": "Development",
  "slug": "development",
  "parent_id": null,
  "description": "Development tools and IDEs",
  "icon": "code",
  "display_order": 1,
  "created_at": "2023-01-01T00:00:00Z",
  "updated_at": "2023-01-01T00:00:00Z"
}

3️⃣ Get Tools in a Category

Retrieve all tools belonging to a category.
Optionally include tools from subcategories.

Endpoint

GET /api/v1/categories/{slug}/tools

Query Parameters

• include_subcategories (boolean, default: true) – Include tools from child categories

Response

{
  "category": {
    "id": 1,
    "name": "Development",
    "slug": "development"
  },
  "tools": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "name": "VS Code",
      "description": "Code editor redefined...",
      "price": 0,
      "category": "Development"
    }
  ],
  "total": 1
}

4️⃣ Create a Category

Create a new category.
Requires authentication.

Endpoint

POST /api/v1/categories/

Request Body

{
  "name": "Web Development",
  "slug": "web-dev",
  "parent_id": 1,
  "description": "Web development tools and frameworks",
  "icon": "globe",
  "display_order": 2
}

💡 slug will be auto-generated if not provided.

Response

{
  "id": 2,
  "name": "Web Development",
  "slug": "web-dev",
  "parent_id": 1,
  "description": "Web development tools and frameworks",
  "icon": "globe",
  "display_order": 2,
  "created_at": "2023-01-02T00:00:00Z",
  "updated_at": "2023-01-02T00:00:00Z"
}

5️⃣ Update a Category

Update an existing category.
Requires authentication.

Endpoint

PUT /api/v1/categories/{category_id}

Request Body

{
  "name": "Web Development Tools",
  "description": "Updated description",
  "icon": "browser"
}

Response

{
  "id": 2,
  "name": "Web Development Tools",
  "slug": "web-dev",
  "parent_id": 1,
  "description": "Updated description",
  "icon": "browser",
  "display_order": 2,
  "created_at": "2023-01-02T00:00:00Z",
  "updated_at": "2023-01-03T00:00:00Z"
}

6️⃣ Delete a Category

Delete a category by ID.
Requires authentication.

Endpoint

DELETE /api/v1/categories/{category_id}

Response

{
  "success": true,
  "message": "Category deleted successfully"
}

📌 Example Usage

Get All Root Categories

GET /api/v1/categories/
Accept: application/json

Get Subcategories of a Parent Category

GET /api/v1/categories/?parent_id=1
Accept: application/json

Get Tools in a Category

GET /api/v1/categories/development/tools?include_subcategories=true
Accept: application/json

Create a New Category

POST /api/v1/categories/
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer your_access_token_here

{
  "name": "Mobile Development",
  "description": "Mobile app development tools",
  "icon": "smartphone"
}

Update a Category

PUT /api/v1/categories/3
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer your_access_token_here

{
  "name": "Mobile App Development",
  "description": "Tools for mobile application development"
}

Delete a Category

DELETE /api/v1/categories/3
Authorization: Bearer your_access_token_here

🔍 Search API

1️⃣ Search Tools

Endpoint

GET /search/tools

Query Parameters

• q (string, required) – Search query
• category (string, optional)
• price_min (number, optional)
• price_max (number, optional)
• features (array of strings, optional)
• sort_by (string, default: “relevance”)

Response

{
  "results": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "name": "VS Code",
      "description": "Code editor redefined...",
      "price": 0,
      "category": "Development"
    }
  ],
  "filters": {
    "categories": ["Development", "Design"],
    "price_range": { "min": 0, "max": 199.99 }
  }
}

2️⃣ Get Search Suggestions

Endpoint

GET /search/suggestions

Query Parameters

• q (string, required)
• limit (number, default: 5)

Response

{
  "suggestions": [
    "code editor",
    "development tools",
    "IDE"
  ]
}

3️⃣ Get Search Filters

Endpoint

GET /search/filters

Response

{
  "categories": [
    { "id": 1, "name": "Development", "count": 45 },
    { "id": 2, "name": "Design", "count": 32 }
  ],
  "price_ranges": [
    { "min": 0, "max": 0, "count": 25 },
    { "min": 0, "max": 50, "count": 30 }
  ],
  "features": [
    { "name": "Free Plan", "count": 42 },
    { "name": "Open Source", "count": 35 }
  ]
}

❤️ Health Check

Health Status

Endpoint

GET /health

Response

{
  "status": "ok",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "environment": "production"
}

Demo

api/v1/tools!

The AI Prompt I Used

Generate a complete backend system for a DevTools Resource Hub API, a public API to discover, compare, price-check, and recommend developer tools.

PART 1 – Database Schema (PostgreSQL / Xano-compatible)
Create 8 core tables: tools, categories, pricing_tiers, alternatives, reviews_aggregate, features, changelog, integrations.
Each table must include proper primary keys, foreign keys, enums, JSONB fields, defaults, constraints, and timestamps.
Support hierarchical categories, pricing history, similarity scoring, integrations, reviews aggregation, and changelog tracking.
Add all required indexes for performance (search, trending, filters, sorting).
Output schema as SQL CREATE TABLE statements or XanoScript-compatible JSON.

PART 2 – REST API Endpoints (15 total)
Implement endpoints for tools listing, tool details, alternatives, pricing, reviews, comparison, categories, category tools, search, trending, recently updated, recommendations, integrations graph, tool integrations, and pricing analytics.
All responses must follow a unified JSON format with success, data, and meta.
Support pagination, filtering, sorting, relevance ranking, and similarity-based recommendations.
Include proper error handling with standard error codes (400, 401, 404, 429, 500).
Output endpoints as Xano API configurations or endpoint definitions.

PART 3 – Authentication & Security
Create users, api_keys, and request_logs tables.
Implement API key–based authentication with bcrypt password hashing and SHA-256 API key storage.
Add rate limiting by tier (anonymous, free, paid) with hourly and daily tracking.
Create auth endpoints: /auth/register, /auth/login, /auth/usage.
Include CORS config, input validation, SQL injection protection, and tier-based authorization rules.
Output as Xano auth middleware or function definitions.

PART 4 – Business Logic Functions
Implement functions for similarity scoring, trending score calculation, query tracking, recommendations, price change detection, and full-text search.
Use weighted algorithms combining features, pricing, categories, integrations, popularity, and reviews.
Support background jobs and webhook triggers.
Output as XanoScript or JavaScript/TypeScript Lambda functions.

PART 5 – Sample Data Seeding
Generate realistic seed data for 20 tools across 5 categories (Backend, Frontend, Hosting, Auth, Database).
Include full tool info, pricing tiers, features, reviews, alternatives, and integrations.
Use real-world tools like Xano, Supabase, Firebase, React, Vercel, Auth0, PostgreSQL, etc.
Output as SQL INSERT statements or Xano-importable JSON.

How I Refined the AI-Generated Code

Master Backend Intelligence Prompt (SQL + Lambda)

Build advanced backend intelligence for a Developer Tools Platform using PostgreSQL SQL + JavaScript Lambda functions.

PART A – Similarity Scoring (SQL)
Create an optimized SQL query for calculate_similarity_score(tool_a, tool_b) that:
Computes feature overlap using array intersection
Calculates price similarity (NULL-safe)
Adds category exact-match bonus

Calculates integration overlap using EXISTS subqueries
Includes review rating similarity
Final weighted score:
Features 40%, Price 20%, Category 15%, Integrations 15%, Reviews 10%
Use CTEs, avoid N+1 queries, optimized joins only

PART B – Trending Algorithm (SQL)
Write a SQL query for /trending endpoint:
trending_score = query_count × EXP(-hours_since_last_query / 168) × ((avg_rating / 5) × LN(total_reviews + 1))
Filter is_active = true
Optional category filter
Time filters: 24h | 7d | 30d
Return top 20 (custom limit allowed)
Output: tool info, trending_score, query_count, avg_rating
Optimize for read-heavy workloads

PART C – Tool Comparison (SQL)
Create a single SQL query for /tools/compare:
Accept 2–5 tool IDs
Return structured JSON:
Basic info (name, logo, website)
Cheapest pricing tier
Feature matrix (all unique features, tool-wise availability)
Common vs unique features
Integration counts
Aggregated ratings
Handle NULLs as “Not Available”
No loops, JSON aggregation only

PART D – Pricing Trends Analytics (SQL)
Write SQL for /analytics/pricing-trends:
Last 12 months, grouped by month + category
Cheapest paid tier per tool
Average price per category per month
Month-over-month percentage change
Identify biggest price increases/decreases
Optional category filter
Output format optimized for charts

These all things have generated via xanoscript the TASKS, JOBS that trigger all fetch recent prices, analytics and trending score for products

My Experience with Xano

As you can see below images, As a Dev creating Database and using them on production is kind of headache task as we need to take care of availability, Rollbacks, Replication and a lot of task that xano has reduced a lot, along with scheduling the jobs and using serverless functions for this application is made easy, Even for pricing analysis for the tools i have used a Task as you can see below
The API Endpoint
https://price-change-9×01.onrender.com/pricing/{tool_id}?upload=true will track the price for tool and post it in pricing_tier and it is scheduled every day. It is made so much easy

We can use the database directly via API endpoints created automatically is plus point on top of which we can use the API, the actually Prod deployed application of mine is using the same

AI, TASK, DATABASE, API are the best things what i could able to use here. Small glimpse of Xanoscript as it is huge.
`// Triggers pricing uploads for all tools via external API
task trigger_pricing_uploads {
stack {
// Retrieve all records from the tool table
// Get all tools
db.query tool {
return = {type: “list”}
output = [“id”]
} as $tools

// Iterate through the list of tools returned by the database query
foreach ($tools) {
  each as $tool {
    // Construct the URL dynamically and make the request
    api.request {
      url = "https://price-change-9x01.onrender.com/pricing/" ~ $tool.id ~ "?upload=true"
      method = "GET"
    } as $api_response
  }
}

// Log task completion status
debug.log {
  value = {success: true, processed_count: $tools|count}
}

}

schedule = [{starts_on: 2026-01-01 00:00:00+0000, freq: 86400}]
tags = [“price tag”, “tools”]
}`
Github Repo Link: https://github.com/its-shashankY/Devtools_hub_api