What you need to know
A small additive field usually does not need a new route version. Removing or changing the meaning of a field may break clients that deploy on a different schedule from the server.
How to apply it
Document the current contract, make compatible additions when possible, and create a migration window for breaking changes. Track active clients before removing old behavior.
Common mistake to avoid
Do not version every tiny change. Too many versions increase maintenance cost and can leave security fixes duplicated across old routes.