Rulesets & conformance

Governance as code

Anypoint API Governance evaluates specs against rulesets and reports a conformance status. A ruleset is a set of machine-checkable rules — written in the Spectral-style format — applied to RAML or OAS specs in Exchange.

A small ruleset example

rules:
  resource-name-plural:
    message: Resource paths should use plural nouns
    severity: warning
    given: $.paths[*]~
    then:
      function: pattern
      functionOptions:
        match: "^/[a-z]+s(/.*)?$"
  response-must-describe-errors:
    message: Every operation must document a 4xx response
    severity: error
    given: $.paths[*][*].responses
    then:
      field: "400"
      function: truthy

How conformance works

• Rulesets are published to Exchange and applied to a set of APIs.
• Each API gets a conformance report — pass, warnings, or errors.
• Governance gives a program-wide view of which APIs meet standards.

Coaching note

Introduce governance as warnings before errors. A ruleset that blocks on day one breeds resentment; one that surfaces gaps, then tightens over time, builds trust in the standard.