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 platform API known as Connect V1 APIs, was released in 2014 and is now deprecated. You shouldn't use it for any new development.
The API is publicly available. Minor changes can be expected between Beta and General Availability (GA).
Beta functionality isn't intended for or supported in production environments and shouldn't be used for such.
Beta functionality is considered stable and closely represents what's 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.
The API is ready for production use.
Square APIs are stable, polished, and production ready. They're 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.
Bug fixes are limited and no new functionality is added.
APIs are deprecated as the first stage toward retirement. They're 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're 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 lists deprecated APIs, deprecated endpoints, and deprecated objects, fields, enums, and values.
If a deprecated API has a replacement, the deprecated API is moved to the maintenance state when the replacement reaches GA and remains in maintenance for at least 6 months. If no replacement is planned, the deprecated API is moved to maintenance approximately 6 months before retirement.
Important
You're 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.
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 Square API 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 completes the retirement process. You must assume that retired endpoints are no longer available on the retirement date.
For information about the retirement timeline for APIs, see Migrate from Deprecated APIs.