fastapi
This skill provides best practices for developing FastAPI applications and Pydantic models, including proper use of the FastAPI CLI, the `Annotated` type style for parameters and dependencies, and keeping code aligned with current FastAPI versions. Use it when writing new FastAPI endpoints, creating Pydantic models, or refactoring existing FastAPI code to follow modern conventions and patterns.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ReflexioAI/claude-smart /tmp/fastapi && cp -r /tmp/fastapi/.claude/skills/fastapi ~/.claude/skills/fastapiSKILL.md
# FastAPI
Official FastAPI skill to write code with best practices, keeping up to date with new versions and features.
> **Project note**: This project starts the server via `./run_services.sh` (uvicorn), not `fastapi dev`. The patterns below still apply to all endpoint/model code.
## Use the `fastapi` CLI
Run the development server on localhost with reload:
```bash
fastapi dev
```
Run the production server:
```bash
fastapi run
```
### Add an entrypoint in `pyproject.toml`
FastAPI CLI will read the entrypoint in `pyproject.toml` to know where the FastAPI app is declared.
```toml
[tool.fastapi]
entrypoint = "my_app.main:app"
```
### Use `fastapi` with a path
When adding the entrypoint to `pyproject.toml` is not possible, or the user explicitly asks not to, or it's running an independent small app, you can pass the app file path to the `fastapi` command:
```bash
fastapi dev my_app/main.py
```
Prefer to set the entrypoint in `pyproject.toml` when possible.
## Use `Annotated`
Always prefer the `Annotated` style for parameter and dependency declarations.
It keeps the function signatures working in other contexts, respects the types, allows reusability.
### In Parameter Declarations
Use `Annotated` for parameter declarations, including `Path`, `Query`, `Header`, etc.:
```python
from typing import Annotated
from fastapi import FastAPI, Path, Query
app = FastAPI()
@app.get("/items/{item_id}")
async def read_item(
item_id: Annotated[int, Path(ge=1, description="The item ID")],
q: Annotated[str | None, Query(max_length=50)] = None,
):
return {"message": "Hello World"}
```
instead of:
```python
# DO NOT DO THIS
@app.get("/items/{item_id}")
async def read_item(
item_id: int = Path(ge=1, description="The item ID"),
q: str | None = Query(default=None, max_length=50),
):
return {"message": "Hello World"}
```
### For Dependencies
Use `Annotated` for dependencies with `Depends()`.
Unless asked not to, create a new type alias for the dependency to allow re-using it.
```python
from typing import Annotated
from fastapi import Depends, FastAPI
app = FastAPI()
def get_current_user():
return {"username": "johndoe"}
CurrentUserDep = Annotated[dict, Depends(get_current_user)]
@app.get("/items/")
async def read_item(current_user: CurrentUserDep):
return {"message": "Hello World"}
```
instead of:
```python
# DO NOT DO THIS
@app.get("/items/")
async def read_item(current_user: dict = Depends(get_current_user)):
return {"message": "Hello World"}
```
## Do not use Ellipsis for *path operations* or Pydantic models
Do not use `...` as a default value for required parameters, it's not needed and not recommended.
Do this, without Ellipsis (`...`):
```python
from typing import Annotated
from fastapi import FastAPI, Query
from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
class Item(BaseModel):
name: str
description: str | None = None
price: float = Field(gt=0)
app = FastAPI()
@app.post("/items/")
async def create_item(item: Item, project_id: Annotated[int, Query()]): ...
```
instead of this:
```python
# DO NOT DO THIS
class Item(BaseModel):
name: str = ...
description: str | None = None
price: float = Field(..., gt=0)
app = FastAPI()
@app.post("/items/")
async def create_item(item: Item, project_id: Annotated[int, Query(...)]): ...
```
## Return Type or Response Model
When possible, include a return type. It will be used to validate, filter, document, and serialize the response.
```python
from fastapi import FastAPI
from pydantic import BaseModel
app = FastAPI()
class Item(BaseModel):
name: str
description: str | None = None
@app.get("/items/me")
async def get_item() -> Item:
return Item(name="Plumbus", description="All-purpose home device")
```
**Important**: Return types or response models are what filter data ensuring no sensitive information is exposed. And they are used to serialize data with Pydantic (in Rust), this is the main idea that can increase response performance.
The return type doesn't have to be a Pydantic model, it could be a different type, like a list of integers, or a dict, etc.
### When to use `response_model` instead
If the return type is not the same as the type that you want to use to validate, filter, or serialize, use the `response_model` parameter on the decorator instead.
```python
from typing import Any
from fastapi import FastAPI
from pydantic import BaseModel
app = FastAPI()
class Item(BaseModel):
name: str
description: str | None = None
@app.get("/items/me", response_model=Item)
async def get_item() -> Any:
return {"name": "Foo", "description": "A very nice Item"}
```
This can be particularly useful when filtering data to expose only the public fields and avoid exposing sensitive information.
```python
from typing import Any
from fastapi import FastAPI
from pydantic import BaseModel
app = FastAPI()
class InternalItem(BaseModel):
name: str
description: str | None = None
secret_key: str
class Item(BaseModel):
name: str
description: str | None = None
@app.get("/items/me", response_model=Item)
async def get_item() -> Any:
item = InternalItem(
name="Foo", description="A very nice Item", secret_key="supersecret"
)
return item
```
## Performance
Do not use `ORJSONResponse` or `UJSONResponse`, they are deprecated.
Instead, declare a return type or response model. Pydantic will handle the data serialization on the Rust side.
## Including Routers
When declaring routers, prefer to add router level parameters like prefix, tags, etc. to the router itself, instead of in `include_router()`.
Do this:
```python
from fastapi import APIRouter, FastAPI
app = FastAPI()
router = APIRouter(prefix="/items", tags=["items"])
@router.get("/")
async def list_items():
return []
# In main.py
app.include_router(router)
```
instead of this:
```python
# DO NOT DO THIS
from fastapi import APIRouter, FastAPIBrowser automation CLI for AI agents. Use when the user needs to interact with websites, including navigating pages, filling forms, clicking buttons, taking screenshots, extracting data, testing web apps, or automating any browser task. Triggers include requests to "open a website", "fill out a form", "click a button", "take a screenshot", "scrape data from a page", "test this web app", "login to a site", "automate browser actions", or any task requiring programmatic web interaction.
Generate a Product Requirements Document (PRD) for a new feature. Use when planning a feature, starting a new project, or when asked to create a PRD. Triggers on: create a prd, write prd for, plan this feature, requirements for, spec out.
Convert PRDs to prd.json format for the Ralph autonomous agent system. Use when you have an existing PRD and need to convert it to Ralph's JSON format. Triggers on: convert this prd, turn this into ralph format, create prd.json from this, ralph json.
Sync AI coding tool instruction files (CLAUDE.md, GEMINI.md, AGENTS.md) so they stay aligned. Detects which file changed and copies it to the others. Use when syncing md files, syncing instructions, updating GEMINI.md, or updating AGENTS.md.
Update public API reference docs to match Python source code. Compares client.py, schema files, and config models against MDX docs and fixes any gaps. Triggers on: update docs, sync docs, update public docs, update api reference, refresh documentation.
Git commit workflow with precommit hook handling, lint/type checking, README updates, and API reference updates. Use when the user wants to commit changes. Handles precommit hooks that modify files (formatting, linting) by re-staging and retrying. Runs ruff lint and pyright type checks on staged Python files, and Biome lint and tsc type checks on staged TS/JS files, fixing all errors. Fixes failing unit tests automatically before committing. Updates README code maps if needed. Updates API reference docs when client.py or service_schemas.py changed. Does not push.
Create high-quality pull requests via gh pr create. Use when the user wants to create a PR, submit a PR, open a pull request, submit for review, or push changes for review. Triggers on: create a pr, create-pr, submit a pr, open a pull request, submit for review, make a pr, gh pr create.
Rigorous code review of all uncommitted changes. Analyzes architecture, code quality, security, and engineering best practices. Embeds questions and assumptions inline, then summarizes all proposed changes as a plan for user approval before any edits are made.