The mistakes we see again and again

After watching thousands of teams build backends, the same handful of mistakes show up again and again. Here are ten of the most common, and the simple fix for each.

Skipping validation at the edge

Validate input as early as possible, at the API boundary, not deep inside business logic where bad data can already cause damage.

Storing secrets in code

Credentials belong in environment variables or a secrets manager, never committed alongside your application code.

No backup strategy

Automatic backups should be running before you need them, not set up in a panic after data loss.

Most backend incidents are avoidable — they just require deciding on the fix before you need it, not after.

Ignoring rate limits

Unprotected endpoints are an open invitation to abuse. Rate limiting should be the default, not an afterthought.

Craftbase handles many of these by default — validation, secrets, backups, and rate limiting are built into every project from the start.