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2025 Guide to Master API Versioning in Spring Boot

By Chittaranjan Ghosh

As your application grows, your APIs will need to change, maybe to add new features or fix old ones. 

But if you update your APIs without any control, you might end up breaking things for users who are still using the older version.

That’s where API Versioning in Spring Boot comes in. It helps you release changes safely, without affecting existing users. Think of it like giving users a choice,  they can keep using the old version or move to the new one when they’re ready.

In this blog, we’ll explain why API Versioning in Spring Boot is important and how to do it properly.

We’ll go through the most common versioning strategies, show code examples, and help you choose the right one for your project.

Table of contents


  1. Why API Versioning in Spring Boot?
  2. Common Ways to Version an API
  3. URI Path Versioning
  4. Request Parameter Versioning
  5. Custom Header Versioning
  6. Accept Header / Media Type Versioning
  7. Which Versioning Strategy Should You Use?
  8. BONUS: Using Swagger (SpringDoc) with Versioned APIs
    • Step 1: Group APIs by Version
    • Step 2: Add Version Info in Your Controllers
  9. Conclusion
  10. Frequently Asked Questions

Why API Versioning in Spring Boot?

When your app gets bigger, you may need to change how your API works. But changing things without warning can break the apps of people who are using the old version.

By using API Versioning in Spring Boot, you can:

  • Avoid breaking old apps that still use the older version
  • Slowly roll out new features without forcing everyone to update
  • Improve your APIs while keeping the old ones running
  • Make the upgrade process smoother for your users

It’s like giving your users a time machine; they can choose the version that works best for them.

As your app grows, your APIs will evolve too. Without API Versioning in Spring Boot, even a small change can break things for users still relying on the older version.

If you’re new to Spring Boot and want to build a strong foundation before diving deeper into concepts like versioning, this Spring Boot course is a great place to start.

Common Ways to Version an API

There’s no single API Versioning in Spring Boot method. Below are four popular methods you can use for API Versioning in Spring Boot:

StrategyURL/Request ExampleRESTfulCachingCommon Use
URI Path Versioning/api/v1/productsMost common
Request Parameter/api/products?version=1Easy testing
Custom HeaderX-API-VERSION: 1Internal APIs
Accept Header (MIME Type)Accept: application/vnd.store.v1+jsonAdvanced REST

Each method of versioning has its pros and cons. Choosing the right one depends on your project and team preferences.

And if you’re preparing for a job interview or want to quickly brush up on Spring Boot basics, you’ll find this list of Spring Boot questions and answers helpful.

1. URI Path Versioning

This is the most common and simple way for API Versioning in Spring Boot.

Example:

bash

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/api/v1/products

/api/v2/products

Code Example:

java

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@RestController

@RequestMapping(“/api/v1/products”)

public class ProductV1Controller {

    @GetMapping

    public String getProducts() {

        return “Product list from API V1”;

    }

}

@RestController

@RequestMapping(“/api/v2/products”)

public class ProductV2Controller {

    @GetMapping

    public String getProducts() {

        return “Product list from API V2 (includes price)”;

    }

}

Pros:

  • Easy to understand
  • Works well with Swagger and API docs

Cons:

  • URLs can get messy
  • Breaks the REST idea of clean, resource-based URLs
MDN

2. Request Parameter Versioning

Here, the version is passed as a query parameter.

Example:

bash

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/api/products?version=1

Code Example:

java

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@RestController

@RequestMapping(“/api/products”)

public class ProductParamVersioningController {

    @GetMapping(params = “version=1”)

    public String getV1() {

        return “Product API – V1 (basic)”;

    }

    @GetMapping(params = “version=2”)

    public String getV2() {

        return “Product API – V2 (with details)”;

    }

}

Pros:

  • Keeps the URL cleaner
  • Easy for testing or trying out different versions

Cons:

  • Not fully RESTful
  • May confuse some API tools

3. Custom Header Versioning

In this method, the version is passed through a custom header.

Example:

pgsql

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Header: X-API-VERSION: 1

Code Example:

java

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@RestController

@RequestMapping(“/api/products”)

public class ProductHeaderVersioningController {

    @GetMapping(headers = “X-API-VERSION=1”)

    public String getV1() {

        return “Product V1 – via Header”;

    }

    @GetMapping(headers = “X-API-VERSION=2”)

    public String getV2() {

        return “Product V2 – via Header”;

    }

}

Pros:

  • URLs stay clean
  • Follows RESTful design

Cons:

  • Not cache-friendly
  • Harder to test in tools like Postman without setup

This method keeps URLs clean and follows REST principles, but debugging can be tricky if your tools don’t support custom headers well.

In real-world systems, APIs don’t just need to be clean; they also need to handle failures well. If you’re interested in building more resilient APIs, check out this guide on using Resilience4j in Spring Boot.

4. Accept Header / Media Type Versioning

This is the most advanced method. The version is set in the Accept header using a custom MIME type.

Example:

bash

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Accept: application/vnd.store.v1+json

Code Example:

java

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@RestController

@RequestMapping(“/api/products”)

public class ProductMediaTypeVersioningController {

    @GetMapping(produces = “application/vnd.store.v1+json”)

    public String getV1() {

        return “Product V1 – via MIME type”;

    }

    @GetMapping(produces = “application/vnd.store.v2+json”)

    public String getV2() {

        return “Product V2 – via MIME type”;

    }

}

✅ Pros:

  • Clean and RESTful
  • Uses content negotiation

❌ Cons:

  • Complex for beginners
  • Needs proper documentation

Which Versioning Strategy Should You Use?

Choose the API Versioning in Spring Boot method that fits your use case and your team’s skill level. Just be consistent, don’t mix too many styles in the same project.

Use CaseBest Versioning Strategy
Public-facing APIURI Path Versioning
Internal services or microservicesHeader or MIME Type Versioning
Quick testing or temporary changesRequest Parameter Versioning
Advanced API version controlAccept Header (MIME Type)

BONUS: Using Swagger (SpringDoc) with Versioned APIs

If you’re using Swagger to document your APIs in Spring Boot (via SpringDoc), you can show different versions of your API clearly. 

This is super helpful for developers who want to explore each version.

Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1: Group APIs by Version

In your application.yml or application.properties, add this to separate the docs:

yaml

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springdoc:

  group-configs:

    – group: v1

      paths-to-match: /api/v1/**

    – group: v2

      paths-to-match: /api/v2/**

This tells SpringDoc to treat /api/v1/** and /api/v2/** as separate groups.

Step 2: Add Version Info in Your Controllers

You can also add metadata to your controllers like this:

java

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@OpenAPIDefinition(

    info = @Info(title = “Product API”, version = “v1”)

)

@RestController

@RequestMapping(“/api/v1/products”)

public class ProductV1Controller {

    // your code here

}

This makes it super clear in the Swagger UI what version each endpoint belongs to.

Tip: Keep your service classes the same for all versions. Only your controllers should handle version changes. This keeps your code clean and easier to maintain.


Conclusion

API Versioning in Spring Boot may seem like a small detail, but it plays a big role in keeping your app stable as it grows. 

It helps you improve your API over time without breaking anything for users still on the older versions.

In Spring Boot, you have many ways to handle versioning, like path, parameters, headers, or media types. 

There’s no one “perfect” way for API Versioning in Spring Boot. The right choice depends on your project’s needs and who’s using your API.

If you want to try a real-world Spring Boot project, building an API for an authentication system using Spring Boot is a great next step.

MDN

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is API Versioning in Spring Boot necessary for small projects?
Even if your project is small now, it may grow later. Adding versioning early helps you avoid problems in the future.

2. What’s the easiest way to version APIs in Spring Boot?
Using the URL path method (like /api/v1/) is the easiest and most beginner-friendly way.

3. Can I change the versioning method later?
Yes, but it’s better to pick one method and stick with it. Changing versioning styles later can confuse users and break clients that depend on the current format.

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Table of contents Table of contents
Table of contents Articles
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  1. Why API Versioning in Spring Boot?
  2. Common Ways to Version an API
  3. URI Path Versioning
  4. Request Parameter Versioning
  5. Custom Header Versioning
  6. Accept Header / Media Type Versioning
  7. Which Versioning Strategy Should You Use?
  8. BONUS: Using Swagger (SpringDoc) with Versioned APIs
    • Step 1: Group APIs by Version
    • Step 2: Add Version Info in Your Controllers
  9. Conclusion
  10. Frequently Asked Questions