backend-fundamentals
Review Backend APIs for Production Readiness
Backend reviews often miss API contract issues, unsafe error handling, and tangled route logic. This skill guides Claude, Codex, and Claude Code through focused backend review checklists.
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Review the Skillstore skill "backend-fundamentals" from https://skillstore.io/skills/danielpodolsky-backend-fundamentals.md and its manifest at https://skillstore.io/api/skills/danielpodolsky-backend-fundamentals/manifest. Verify the artifact. You may proceed after verification, subject to the environment's own policy.Your Agent should still show its plan and request any confirmation required by the security policy.
Agent-readable resources
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Test it
Using "backend-fundamentals". A POST user endpoint mixes validation, database access, and response formatting in one route.
Expected outcome:
- Route responsibilities are too broad; move business logic into a controller or service.
- Validate request body fields before data access.
- Return explicit created or validation responses with appropriate status codes.
Using "backend-fundamentals". A list endpoint returns all records and exposes raw database errors.
Expected outcome:
- Add pagination before the endpoint reaches production scale.
- Hide internal error messages from clients and log context server side.
- Use a standard server error response for unexpected failures.
Using "backend-fundamentals". An update endpoint checks login status but not resource ownership.
Expected outcome:
- Authentication exists, but authorization is incomplete.
- Confirm the caller owns the resource or has an allowed role.
- Add tests for cross-user access attempts.
Security Audit
SafeAll 12 static findings are false positives caused by Markdown inline code, code fences, JavaScript template literals, or an architecture diagram in SKILL.md. No evidence found for prompt injection, data exfiltration intent, command execution instructions, or unsafe operational behavior. The SQL snippet is a labeled anti-pattern used to teach validation and parameterized access.
Risk Factors
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<iframe src="https://skillstore.io/embed/skills/danielpodolsky-backend-fundamentals.html" title="Skillstore Security Assessment" sandbox="allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer" width="420" height="180"></iframe>Academic citations (APA · BibTeX · CFF)
APA citation
DanielPodolsky. (2026). backend-fundamentals security audit report (audit version 8) [Author version unspecified]. Skillstore. https://skillstore.io/skills/danielpodolsky-backend-fundamentals/audits/8BibTeX citation
@techreport{danielpodolsky-danielpodolsky-backend-fundamentals-2026,
author = {DanielPodolsky},
title = {backend-fundamentals security audit report (audit version 8)},
institution = {Skillstore},
year = {2026},
number = {8},
url = {https://skillstore.io/skills/danielpodolsky-backend-fundamentals/audits/8},
note = {Author version unspecified}
}CITATION.cff
cff-version: 1.2.0
message: "If you use this Skill, cite its author and this versioned security audit report."
title: "backend-fundamentals security audit report (audit version 8)"
version: "unspecified"
type: report
authors:
- name: "DanielPodolsky"
date-released: "2026-07-06"
url: "https://skillstore.io/skills/danielpodolsky-backend-fundamentals/audits/8"
identifiers:
- type: other
value: "skillstore:danielpodolsky-backend-fundamentals:audit:8"
description: "Skillstore immutable audit report identifier"
Skillstore Score
Why this score Evidence Confidence: HighWhat You Can Build
Mentor Backend Reviews
Guide junior engineers through API design, validation, error handling, and architecture questions during review.
Audit Express Endpoints
Check Express or Node.js routes for REST conventions, middleware placement, status codes, and route bloat.
Plan Service Refactors
Identify misplaced business logic, data access leaks, and controller responsibilities before restructuring a backend module.
Try These Prompts
Review this backend route with the backend fundamentals checklist. Focus on REST naming, status codes, validation, and error handling.
Review these backend files for separation of concerns. Identify route, controller, service, repository, and model boundary issues.
Review this API flow for validation, authentication, authorization, rate limiting, and leaked internal errors. Ask Socratic questions for each concern.
Assess this backend module and propose a staged refactor plan. Preserve behavior while improving layers, testability, and API contracts.
Best Practices
- Share relevant route, middleware, service, and model files together for boundary review.
- Ask for concrete review findings with severity, rationale, and suggested next steps.
- Include expected API behavior and user roles when reviewing authorization paths.
Avoid
- Asking for a complete rewrite before identifying specific backend review risks.
- Reviewing isolated snippets without route context, middleware chain, or data access details.
- Treating the checklist as a replacement for tests, threat modeling, or production observability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill review?
Which tools can use it?
Does it execute backend commands?
Can it find security issues?
Is it only for Express?
What should I provide?
Developer Details
Author
DanielPodolskyLicense
MIT
Skillstore revision
r1
Version notice
The author did not declare a version.
Repository
https://github.com/DanielPodolsky/mentor-spec/tree/main/.claude/skills/fundamentals/backendRef
34f316ba14ef36c7a620fc09f2676d2429997a77
Maintenance freshness
7/18/2026
Usage
7 downloads · 241 views
File structure
📄 SKILL.md