> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rootkey.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # API Versioning > ROOTKey's API versioning policy, deprecation timelines, and guidance for staying current with platform evolution. ROOTKey is actively developed infrastructure. This page documents how API versions are managed, how breaking changes are communicated, and what clients should expect when the API evolves. *** ## Versioning Policy The ROOTKey API follows **semantic versioning** principles applied to the API surface: | Change type | How it's released | | ---------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | | New endpoints | Additive - no version bump required | | New optional fields in requests | Additive - backwards compatible | | New fields in responses | Additive - backwards compatible | | Changes to existing endpoint behaviour | Minor version bump with deprecation notice | | Removal of endpoints or fields | Major version bump with migration window | | Breaking changes to authentication or core contracts | Major version bump with extended notice period | **Additive changes** - new endpoints, new optional parameters, new response fields - are deployed without a version bump and do not require changes to existing integrations. **Breaking changes** - removal of endpoints, changes to required parameters, or modifications to response schemas - are introduced only in new major versions, with advance notice and a defined migration window. *** ## Deprecation Process When an endpoint or feature is deprecated: 1. **Advance notice** - deprecation is announced in release notes and communicated directly to affected clients 2. **Deprecation header** - deprecated endpoints return a `Deprecation` response header indicating the sunset date 3. **Migration window** - deprecated features remain available for a minimum of **90 days** from the deprecation announcement 4. **Sunset** - after the migration window, the deprecated endpoint is removed ``` Deprecation: true Sunset: Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Link: ; rel="deprecation" ``` *** ## Staying Current **Monitor release notes** Breaking changes and deprecations are documented in the release notes distributed to enterprise clients. If you are not receiving release communications, contact [support@rootkey.ai](mailto:support@rootkey.ai). **Handle unknown fields gracefully** Design your integration to ignore unknown fields in API responses. ROOTKey may add new fields to existing responses at any time - integrations that fail on unexpected fields will break unnecessarily. **Test against the development environment** New API versions are available at `dev-api.rootkey.ai` before production deployment. Validate your integration against upcoming changes before they affect production traffic. **Treat version headers as signals** If your HTTP client exposes response headers, monitor for `Deprecation` headers on any endpoint you rely on. Receiving this header means a migration is required before the sunset date. *** ## Version History Detailed release notes are distributed directly to enterprise clients. For a summary of platform evolution, contact [support@rootkey.ai](mailto:support@rootkey.ai). *** ## Breaking Change Policy for Enterprise Clients Enterprise clients on SLA agreements receive: * **Direct notification** of breaking changes via email, at minimum 90 days before sunset * **Extended migration windows** (by negotiation) for clients requiring additional time * **Migration support** from the ROOTKey engineering team for major version upgrades If you have concerns about an upcoming change, contact [contact@rootkey.ai](mailto:contact@rootkey.ai) to discuss your migration timeline. *** Contact our team at [support@rootkey.ai](mailto:support@rootkey.ai) - we'll provide migration guidance and assess whether an extended window is appropriate for your deployment.