As I see it, HATEOAS by providing API structure dynamically depending on application state, restricts the application to non-concurrent use and full backward co

As I see it, HATEOAS by providing API structure dynamically depending on application state, restricts the application to non-concurrent use and full backward compatibility, because application state perceived by the client and the actual state might diverge in concurrent use (either concurrent clients or state change by code upgrade). It is impossible to build a client (which does more than query a resource in a loop and simultaneously does the right thing) that will magically know about newly available link if application state changes between getting the resource, making a decision and following a link based on that decision. Which clearly breaks the very intent to make the API self documenting. Taking Wikipedia example [1], how can a client know whether the application stopped supporting withdrawals altogether (it is dynamic after all) or is it the particular account it is querying? What happens when account is overdrawn between a client querying state and attempting a withdraw? When should a client stop expecting returned endpoint to be still available? How do you document possible outcomes? Another example of HATEOAS not being thought through is the self link. If a client is querying application through proxy (e.g. forwarded port to directly unreachable destination or some kind of aggregator application), the self link becomes incorrect. Should a client know to magically rewrite the link or treat it as a redirection? If the application is reachable by various paths (domain names, IPs) it must know the path client took, to return correct self link even without a proxy. HATEOAS restricts application to a set of very specific use cases with subtle traps to fall into. I see no way to avoid both these traps and need for documentation, which, in my view, defeats the purpose. Your mileage may of course vary. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HATEOAS https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HATEOAS