WSO2 API Designer
WSO2 API Designer is a Visual Studio Code extension for creating and refining OpenAPI specifications.
What WSO2 API Designer is
WSO2 API Designer is a Visual Studio Code extension for creating and refining OpenAPI specifications. It supports OpenAPI 3.x and opens YAML or JSON files. Its design view lays out API resources, operations, and reusable components, with form-based editing for operations and schemas. An API Design Skill can work with GitHub Copilot to draft specifications from prompts; Copilot is optional and recommended for AI-assisted workflows. The extension checks specifications with bundled Spectral rulesets covering WSO2 AI readiness, WSO2 REST API design guidelines, and the OWASP API Security Top 10. AI-assisted analysis adds narrative feedback to rule-based results. Users can point it to a custom ruleset folder through a GitHub folder URL or an absolute local path. It is available through the VS Code Marketplace, with a documented prerequisite of compatibility with extension engine requirement ^1.100.0. WSO2 directs users to its official Discord community for help. Its guidance notes that security findings may require real URLs, policies, or authorization server metadata, and cautions against having AI invent production values. The 30-day trial is listed as free; Growth is $119 a month.
Good
- Supports OpenAPI 3.x in YAML and JSON.
- Provides form-based editing for operations and schemas.
- Checks specs against bundled Spectral rulesets.
- Custom rulesets can be added by URL or local path.
Watch out
- Requires compatible VS Code extension engine ^1.100.0.
- Copilot is optional but recommended for AI-assisted workflows.
- Growth costs $119 a month.
Who it suits
API developers who work in VS Code and build or maintain OpenAPI specifications may find this extension useful. WSO2 describes its 30-day trial as suitable for students and individual developers.
Verdict
WSO2 API Designer combines visual specification editing with rule-based checks and optional AI assistance. Its documented VS Code requirement and guidance about real production security values are worth noting.
Plans and prices
From WSO2 API Designer's own pricing page, checked 20 Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Day Free Trial | Priced on request | 5 managed APIs · 1M API gateway events · 1M maximum API requests per month · 30-day free trial |
| 30-Day Trial | Free | 5 Managed Interfaces · 10M Gateway Events · API Designer available |
| Growth | $119 a month | Up to 10 Managed Interfaces · Up to 10M Gateway Events · API Designer available · from $119 /mo |
| Enterprise | Priced on request | Custom limits · Self-hosted available · Federation · Private Data Plane · Enterprise Support · API Designer available · Custom |
The facts
Each one read from WSO2 API Designer's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- AI design
- The extension includes an API Design Skill that works with GitHub Copilot to draft API specifications from prompts.checked 3 Oct 2026
- AI readiness
- AI-assisted analysis combines rule-based results with narrative feedback about specification issues that can affect agents and tools.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Custom rules
- Users can point the extension to a custom ruleset folder using a GitHub folder URL or an absolute local directory path.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Governance
- It checks specifications with bundled Spectral rulesets for WSO2 AI readiness, WSO2 REST API design guidelines, and OWASP API Security Top 10.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Integration
- GitHub Copilot is optional and recommended for AI-assisted workflows; the extension can be installed from the VS Code Marketplace.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- WSO2 describes its 30-day trial as ideal for students and individual developers, and its Growth plan as intended for small to mid-sized businesses with basic API management needs.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- API Designer is a Visual Studio Code extension for building and improving OpenAPI specifications.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Requirement
- The documented VS Code prerequisite is compatibility with extension engine requirement ^1.100.0.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Security note
- WSO2’s API Designer guidance warns that security findings may require real URLs, policies, or authorization server metadata and advises against inventing production values with AI.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Specification format
- API Designer supports creating and improving OpenAPI 3.x specifications and opens YAML or JSON specification files.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Support
- The documentation directs users to WSO2’s official Discord community for help and discussion.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Visual editing
- Design view displays API resources, operations, and reusable components and supports form-based editing of operations and schemas.checked 3 Oct 2026
The company
- Founded
- 2005checked 28 Sep 2026
- Maker security
- WSO2 states that it is ISO 27001:2022 certified and SOC 2 Type 2 compliant.checked 3 Oct 2026
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