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World Congress 2026 Europe - Virtual Stage • Jul 2, 2026 • Session details

Contract-First Frontend: Scaling Reliable UIs with OpenAPI and AI

Violina Popova

OpenAPI isn't just documentation; it's a strict contract. Stop API drift by auto-generating TypeScript clients and unlocking highly accurate AI-assisted development.

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#1 about 2 min

The cost of frontend and backend misalignment

How independent API evolution leads to breaking changes and compounded technical debt over time.

#2 about 2 min

Uncovering silent API drift across platforms

Independent local decisions by separate teams create conflicting response shapes for the same domain data.

#3 about 2 min

Debugging costs of runtime data shape mismatches

How silent data errors increase cross-team coordination overhead and slow feature delivery.

#4 about 2 min

Tight coupling from backend-driven UI decisions

Returning layout instructions instead of domain data freezes frontend iteration and blocks independent testing.

#5 about 3 min

Why handwritten types and documentation fail to scale

Relying on manual updates creates a false sense of security that eventually breaks production systems.

#6 about 3 min

Using OpenAPI as an executable contract

Generating exact type definitions directly from a specification prevents discrepancies and automates API client creation.

#7 about 3 min

Adopting a contract-first API development workflow

Defining API shapes upfront enables simultaneous frontend and backend implementation with enforced compliance.

#8 about 3 min

Catching API mismatches directly in continuous integration

Derived artifacts ensure any renamed field or changed nullability instantly flags a build error.

#9 about 2 min

Unifying data shapes across separate codebases

A single specification aligns web and native platforms while maintaining independent presentation layers.

#10 about 2 min

Restoring UI ownership to the frontend team

Moving presentation logic away from the backend allows autonomous product iteration and reliable automated testing.

#11 about 3 min

Improving AI output quality with precise specifications

Supplying machine-readable API contracts to AI tools enables the generation of accurate hooks and reliable test mocks.

#12 about 2 min

Incrementally migrating to a schema-driven architecture

Applying open specifications solely to new endpoints minimizes disruption while gradually reducing legacy technical debt.

#13 about 2 min

Managing team ownership and CI validation costs

Establishing shared approval processes and continuous validation are necessary investments for maintaining contract integrity.

#14 about 3 min

Evaluating the explicit schema evolution approach

Formalizing agreements is highly effective for scaling teams with complex domains but introduces unnecessary overhead for single-client prototypes.

#15 about 3 min

Treating the API as a versioned product

Establishing machine-readable contracts builds trust between systems and prevents UI logic from bleeding into data layers.

Matching moments

2:54 min

Designing complex software architecture in the era of AI

Chris Heilmann +2 · LIVE

1:57 min

Generating frontend APIs with GraphQL and OpenAPI

Marco Podien Marco Podien · World Congress 2025

13:07 min

Analyzing microservice specification drift with automated contract tooling

Holly Cummins · LIVE

1:18 min

Audience Q&A on enforcing API contracts

Tushar Gupta Tushar Gupta · World Congress 2026 Europe

2:52 min

Designing microservices with the OpenAPI specification workflow

Artem Manchenkov Artem Manchenkov · World Congress 2024

56 sec

Adopting API-first development to build cohesive systems

Michael Jaeger Michael Jaeger · Europe 2026 Virtual

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