Today, when we talk about the web development landscape, user-centric experiences have taken the central position. With websites and applications becoming more intricate, ensuring seamless interactions and tailored content delivery has become paramount. Enter the “Backend For Frontend” pattern or BFF pattern—a concept that has gained prominence due to its pivotal role in addressing these challenges.

In this blog, we will explore the significance, mechanism, and best practices of BFF (Back-End for Front-End).

Let’s begin!

What is BFF?

Backend For Frontend (BFF) is an architectural pattern commonly employed in web application development. Its primary objective is to provide distinct backend services tailored to the requirements of front-end clients.

In essence, BFF serves as a dedicated intermediary layer, enabling client applications to receive data precisely tuned to their individual needs.

To illustrate its significance, consider an application supporting both mobile web and desktop web client apps.

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The mobile app may demand lightweight data with minimal UI information, while the desktop web client requires comprehensive data displaying all available details. Rather than managing separate API versions for each client, the BFF pattern proves invaluable.

It operates as a unified backend gateway, interacting with generic APIs by sending requests and receiving responses. Subsequently, customized logic is applied based on each client’s specific needs. This facilitates the delivery of tailored content to their respective user interfaces.

Why choose BFF? The following section will provide a precise response to this question.

Benefits of BFF

Here are some of the benefits of BFF:

1. Efficient API Utilization: BFF leverages generic APIs. Thus, promoting the efficient reuse of complex business logic. This eliminates the need for maintaining separate APIs for various front-end clients.
2. Streamlined UI Customization: It empowers front-end web developers to achieve client-specific UI customization within this layer. This streamlines the process and reduces complexity within the API layer.
3. Streamlined UI Customization: It expedites development speed by providing a unified backend layer that caters to diverse client needs. This leads to faster application delivery.
4. Enhanced Flexibility: BFF offers greater flexibility, allowing for swift adjustments and adaptations to meet evolving client requirements and market demands.

Curious about how BFF operates? Don’t worry; I’ll explain it in the upcoming section.

How does the BFF Pattern work?

In the BFF (Backend For Frontend) pattern, a streamlined communication flow enhances user experiences on different platforms.

As shown in the diagram, the “Desktop Web Browser client” connects exclusively with the “Desktop BFF gateway.” On the other end, the “Mobile App client” communicates solely with the “Mobile BFF gateway.” These gateways serve as intermediaries between clients and the “Generic APIs,” ensuring distinct interactions.

High-level diagram for a simple example of the BFF pattern:

Here’s how it works:

Both BFF gateways independently interface with the “Generic APIs.” They orchestrate data requests and responses, tailoring them precisely to meet the unique needs of each client type, whether it’s for the desktop or mobile app web platform.

This customization ensures that the delivered data is optimized for the specific client, enhancing performance, and delivering a more tailored and efficient user experience, regardless of the device being used.

Stay tuned for our Tech in 1 minute podcast explaining the BFF pattern in a little more detail and a video on how to implement it in your web/mobile application.

Let’s move on to something exciting now!

Use Case of BFF Pattern

I’ll now illustrate the application of the BFF pattern for both desktop web and mobile app clients:

1. For Generic API –

– This is our Generic API with URL:

https://<<generic-api-server>>/api/Products

– This is a sample code for the Generic API to provide a detailed response:

// GET: api/<ProductsController>
[HttpGet]
public List<VProductModelCatalogDescription> Get()
{
var products = _context.VProductModelCatalogDescriptions.ToList();
return products;
}

– After applying this code, you’ll get this sample response (which contains all details that can be generic and consumed by multiple front-end clients for further customization):

2. For Desktop Web Clients –

– This is our URL for desktop web clients:

https://<<desktop-web-bff-client >>/api/Products

– This is a sample code for BFF desktop web clients to consume and customize responses as below:

// GET: api/<ProductsController>
[HttpGet]
[Route("web")]
public List<ProductResponseDto_Web> GetProducts_Web()
{
var products = _context.VProductModelCatalogDescriptions.ToList();
var result = products.Select(p =>
{
return new ProductResponseDto_Web()
{
ProductModelId = p.ProductModelId,
Name = p.Name,
Color = p.Color,
Manufacturer = p.Manufacturer,
WarrantyPeriod = p.WarrantyPeriod,
WarrantyDescription = p.WarrantyDescription,
BikeFrame = p.BikeFrame,
Material = p.Material,
Pedal = p.Pedal,
ProductPhotoId = "https://localhost:5001/api/Products/image/" + p.ProductPhotoId,
ProductUrl = $"{p.ProductUrl}/{p.ProductModelId}"
};
}).ToList();
return result;
}

– After applying this code, you’ll get this sample response:

3. For Mobile BFF Clients:

– This is our URL for mobile web clients:

https://<<mobile-app-bff-client>>/api/Products

– Similar way for mobile BFF clients it can be customized to a more lightweight stage with this code:

// GET: api/<ProductsController>
[HttpGet]
[Route("mobile")]
public List<ProductResponseDto_Mobile> GetProducts_Mobile()
{
var products = _context.VProductModelCatalogDescriptions.ToList();
var result = products.Select(p =>
{
return new ProductResponseDto_Mobile()
{
ProductModelId = p.ProductModelId,
Name = p.Name,
Summary = p.Summary,
ProductUrl = $"{p.ProductUrl}/{p.ProductModelId}"
};
}).ToList();
return result;
}

– After applying this code, you’ll get this sample response:

Now, let’s march towards some of the challenges when using BFF and their solutions!

Drawbacks of BFF

BFF is powerful, but not without its challenges. Such as:

1. Additional Communication Layer: BFF introduces an extra layer in communication during UI requests, potentially impacting response times and overall system performance.
2. Maintenance Overhead: Implementing a BFF layer adds an additional maintenance responsibility, potentially increasing development, and operational costs over time.

“Where there are challenges, there are solutions.” – follow up to overcome those barriers.

Best Practices for BFF Pattern

To avoid pitfalls, follow these guidelines:

1. Keep Self-Contained APIs in Microservices: Maintain clarity by limiting your BFF to translation between clients and services, preventing clutter from all-inclusive APIs.
2. Avoid BFF Logic Duplication: Optimize efficiency by using one BFF for various devices and platforms like iOS and Android, streamlining your development process.
3. Don’t Over-Depend on BFF: Remember, it’s a translation layer, not a feature or security hub, so maintain functional and security independence with APIs and the front end.
4. Implement Caching Strategically: Enhance performance by strategically implementing caching mechanisms within your BFF, reducing backend load, and improving response times.
5. Prioritize Error Handling and Logging: Ensure reliability with robust error handling and logging practices in your BFF, facilitating swift issue identification and resolution.

For a more manageable BFF pattern, consider breaking it into modular components, allowing for scalability and easier maintenance. Additionally, utilize tools like Bit for -seamless component creation, version control, and effortless collaboration among your development team.

So, the future of both the front end and backend looks promising. As web applications become more diverse and user-centric, BFF’s role in optimizing communication and delivering tailored experiences is set to expand.

With its ability to adapt to emerging trends and technologies, BFF is poised to remain a vital architectural pattern, shaping the future of web development by providing efficient, flexible, and user-focused solutions for years to come.

Note: Keep an eye out for my upcoming blog on “Authentication with BFF Pattern”.

Interested in arming your business with the latest backend and front-end services? Write to us with Nitor Infotech to forge and win in the dynamic market.