API governance can be a touchy subject. Although it’s critical to get governance right, many differing opinions exist on what “good” looks like. One organization’s governance strategy may not translate directly to another, and this gray area has made governance topics challenging to nail down.

Even if different approaches are valid, there are hallmark signs that your API governance strategy is ineffective — or at least not as effective as it could be. In this article, we’ll explore telltale signs that you are failing at API governance. If these red flags appear in your current approach, it’s time to rethink governance holistically — and refactor your processes.

1. Heavy-Handed (or Absent) Governance

Governance should be specific but not rigid. An overly strict governance policy can negatively impact your development and implementation lifecycle.

Overly prescriptive governance isn’t really governance — it’s enforced development. True governance aligns standards across an implementation without dictating how those implementations must be built. When policies are too strict, teams may bypass them altogether to meet their needs, undermining governance entirely.

Conversely, governance that’s too lax also fails. When teams are left to define their own standards, you open the door to friction and complexity. Governance is ultimately a best practice alignment tool, and without well-defined practices, you risk a fragmented development environment.

Example: Atlassian provides a bottom-up solution for compliance that gives developers tools to comply — rather than enforcing compliance through draconian measures.

2. One-Size-Fits-All Governance

Governance should adapt to different API models, intents, and formats. Applying a single governance model to all APIs — including internal, external, and partner-facing — ignores the nuances of each use case.

Instead, governance should be tailored to the context in which it’s applied. At the very least, offer justifications and alternative paths when governance introduces friction or breaking changes. Ideally, each API modality should have its own governance variations and documented use cases.

Flexible governance helps avoid fragmentation and inconsistency across the organization. Without it, teams may create their own governance strategies, resulting in inefficiencies and redundant bureaucracy.

Example: Spotify addresses this with their “Golden Path” approach. These provide opinionated best practices that support diverse use cases while maintaining alignment.

3. Lacking Standardization

Promoting best practices is hard when your governance model itself isn’t consistent. Standardization is essential to effective governance, enabling consistent API design and easier detection of deviations.

When APIs follow standardized naming conventions, authentication methods, and versioning practices, they become easier to use and maintain. When they don’t, developer experience suffers, leading to workarounds, inconsistencies, and technical debt.

Example: Google’s API Improvement Proposal (AIP) framework promotes standardization while offering flexibility for different development contexts.

4. Siloed Governance

Standardization isn’t just about documentation — it also applies to how governance is implemented across teams. Governance should be transparent and accessible so that any team can understand and apply the policies consistently.

If governance is siloed, with each team developing its own rules, you risk fragmentation and a lack of interoperability. Successful adoption requires alignment at both the team and organizational level, with a focus on integration and shared understanding.

Example: eBay uses API federation with reusable templates to break down silos and promote consistency across teams.

5. Poor Change and Lifecycle Management

Governance isn’t a ‘set it and forget it’ process. APIs evolve, and so must your governance approach.

When certain API endpoints become obsolete, they must be deprecated securely and transparently. Governance should define how breaking changes are introduced, how updates are communicated, and how outdated APIs are retired. This ensures that evolving products remain secure and consistent.

Governance models also need to evolve. Static policies quickly become outdated in fast-moving environments. Governance must be reviewed regularly to stay relevant as technologies, user needs, and modalities shift.

Example: Stripe addresses this by putting every API change through a review process that ensures non-breaking, consistent updates.

6. Lack of Monitoring and Observability

Governance without observability is like flying blind. You need data to understand whether your APIs and your governance are working as intended.

Governance policies should include tools and processes for robust monitoring and observability. These might include error tracking, rate limiting, long-term logging, and real-time metrics that provide visibility into usage, performance, and compliance.

Example: Northwestern Mutual uses automated monitoring and observability tools to gain cross-product API visibility and control.

7. Failure to Adopt Automation

Good governance relies on automation. Manual reviews still have value, but relying on them exclusively slows down development and increases the risk of inconsistency.

Automated tools — like linters, formatters, and governance rulesets — can help enforce standards during development. AI-assisted tools can even recommend or apply corrections automatically, improving compliance without adding developer friction.

Example: Salesforce uses AI to automate governance checks, scanning for issues and suggesting fixes proactively.

8. Non-Existent Feedback and Contribution Mechanisms

Governance shouldn’t be a top-down edict. It should evolve through community input. Developer feedback ensures policies are usable, effective, and widely adopted.

Build mechanisms for contribution, whether through GitHub repositories, forums, or internal feedback loops. These create a culture of shared ownership and improve the quality and relevance of your governance strategy.

Without feedback loops, teams may go rogue, fork outdated governance models, or bypass standards entirely.

Example: Review the case studies above! Most successful governance initiatives incorporate developer feedback to refine and improve their models over time.

Takeaways: Avoiding API Governance Mistakes

This list isn’t exhaustive — there are countless ways to fail at API governance. However, these are some of the most common and most damaging. The good news? Each of these challenges can be addressed with thoughtful planning, the right tools, and a commitment to adaptability. When done well, governance strengthens your APIs, improves consistency, and scales with your organization’s growth.