Ship API changes without breaking SDKs—preview builds show you exactly what will happen
Blog post from Stainless
Stainless preview builds address the significant challenge of API development by allowing engineers to visualize the impact of OpenAPI changes on SDKs before merging code, thus preventing potential disruptions. This innovative approach eliminates the traditional bottleneck where API teams either manage all updates or product teams make potentially disruptive changes without foresight. By integrating preview builds into pull requests, teams can see SDK diffs, test locally, and receive feedback instantly, which enhances visibility and reduces risks associated with API updates. The system supports both PR-first workflows and push-based workflows, providing flexibility according to project needs. This democratizes API updates, accelerates the velocity of shipping changes, improves quality by identifying breaking changes early, and encourages broader participation among engineering teams. Stainless preview builds transform API shipping by providing real-time insights and feedback during the development process, ultimately fostering faster and more reliable API iterations.