> Solana Developer Platform docs, served as Markdown. The [docs index](https://platform.solana.com/docs.md) lists every page and [llms.txt](https://platform.solana.com/docs/ai/llms.txt) the key ones; [SKILL.md](https://platform.solana.com/SKILL.md) has the rules for building on SDP.

# API conventions

What every SDP API call has in common, from how it authenticates to how it fails.

Every route follows the same rules, so learn them once:

- [Authentication](/docs/developing-with-sdp/authentication): send an API key in the `Authorization` header. Its grants decide what it can do.
- [Environments](/docs/developing-with-sdp#environments): a project runs in sandbox (devnet) or production (mainnet-beta), and its keys work in that environment only.
- [Idempotency](/docs/developing-with-sdp/idempotency): send an `Idempotency-Key` to retry a mutation safely. Routes that move money require one.
- [Errors](/docs/reference/conventions/errors): one error envelope, with a code to branch on.
- [Pagination](/docs/reference/conventions/pagination): lists return one page at a time.
- [Rate limits](/docs/reference/conventions/rate-limits): each API key gets a set number of requests per minute.
- [Versioning](/docs/reference/conventions/versioning): the version is in the path, and a breaking change gets a new one.

A successful JSON response wraps its payload in `data`, with `meta.requestId` beside it; a `204` has no body, and the health checks answer with their own. Every response also carries the ID in `X-Request-ID`: quote it when you report a problem.