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Build Basics

Square API Lifecycle

The Square API (the successor to the Connect V1 API) typically follows a path from beta to general availability (GA). As the API approaches the end of life, Square deprecates it. While deprecated, the API remains in maintenance mode and is then retired. The Square SDKs that encapsulate Square APIs follow the same lifecycle as the APIs. The following sections explain the Square API release states.

Note

The prior Square API, released in 2014 and known as Connect V1 APIs, is now deprecated. You should not use it for any new development.

Beta Permalink Get a link to this section

The API is available. Minor changes can be expected between beta and general availability (GA).

Beta functionality is not intended for or supported in production environments and should not be used for such.

Beta functionality is considered stable and closely represents what is intended for final release, but fixes and updates might still be made. Functionality is released in beta to give developers an opportunity to preview and validate the intended release. Any applications you develop with beta APIs should work with their GA API equivalents with little to no change. You should fully validate your application against GA before deployment in a production environment.

Beta functionality is publicly available and breaking changes follow the normal Square API versioning process. Beta functionality is documented and clearly tagged in the developer documentation.

General availability Permalink Get a link to this section

The API is ready for production use.

Square APIs are stable, polished, and production ready. They are fully supported with new functionality and bug fixes in subsequent releases.

GA functionality is publicly available and breaking changes follow the normal Square API versioning process. GA functionality is documented in the developer documentation.

Deprecated Permalink Get a link to this section

Bug fixes are limited and no new functionality is added.

APIs are deprecated as the first stage toward retirement. They are typically deprecated at least 12 months before permanent retirement.

Deprecated functionality remains publicly available and fully supported, but its use is strongly discouraged for all applications, regardless of the Square-Version provided with API calls. You are discouraged from building new solutions with deprecated APIs. On deprecation, you should plan on updating existing applications that depend on the deprecated APIs.

Deprecated functionality is clearly tagged in the developer documentation and grouped together in the Technical Reference.

If a deprecated API has a Square API replacement, the deprecated API is moved to the maintenance state when the replacement reaches GA and remains in maintenance for at least six months. If no replacement is planned, the deprecated API is moved to maintenance approximately six months before retirement.

Important

You are strongly encouraged to migrate to the applicable replacements as soon as possible to avoid disruption. Developers using Square SDKs released on, or after, the deprecation date see deprecation warnings in API logs (for interpreted languages) or compilation warnings (for compiled languages) when referencing deprecated functionality.

Retired Permalink Get a link to this section

No support from Square.

Retired APIs are no longer available or supported and the technical reference documentation is archived.

Retired APIs are unavailable to all applications regardless of the Square-Version provided with API calls. REST API calls return errors for all users and retired functionality is removed from all SDKs released on, or after, the retirement date. Information about retired functionality is removed from the developer documentation. Information about retired functionality might still appear in archived versions of the Technical Reference, but the retired functionality cannot be accessed, even by applications still pinned to an older Square API version. Retired functionality might still be accessible for a period of time after the posted retirement date while Square is completing the retirement. You must assume that retired endpoints are no longer available on the retirement date.

For information about the scheduled API retirement timeline, see Current status.