Amazon·Software Engineer·Onsite - System Design / Architecture·Intermediate

Intermediate

May 2026

Summary

Amazon SWE interview with a system design scenario where I had to figure out what to ask before writing a proposal for a redirect button feature. The pre-question prioritization part tripped me up more than I expected.

Questions Asked (1)

Before writing a technical proposal for a redirect button feature, which clarifying questions would you prioritize asking the stakeholder, and why?

API & IntegrationsTechnical Trade-offsSystem Design

Author's notes

I underweighted the timeline question pretty badly.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by framing the clarifying questions around the core purpose and success criteria of the redirect button, then drill into technical constraints, user experience, and integration points. Prioritize questions that uncover hidden requirements and potential trade-offs, showing you think like an owner at Amazon.

Pro tip: Ask about the expected scale and failure modes early—Amazon values systems thinking, and this signals you design for reliability and customer impact from the start.

1. Clarify the goal and success metrics

Ask what problem the redirect button solves and how success will be measured (e.g., conversion rate, latency, error rate). This ensures alignment with business and customer outcomes.

2. Identify users and use cases

Determine who will use the button (internal/external, authenticated/anonymous) and in what contexts (web, mobile, API). This shapes requirements for security, UX, and compatibility.

3. Uncover technical constraints and dependencies

Ask about existing systems, APIs, authentication mechanisms, and any constraints like latency, throughput, or compliance. This reveals integration complexity and potential blockers.

4. Explore edge cases and failure handling

Inquire about expected behavior for invalid inputs, network failures, or malicious redirects. This shows foresight in designing robust, secure solutions.

5. Confirm scope and priorities

Ask what is explicitly in/out of scope and which aspects are most critical (e.g., speed vs. security). This helps prioritize trade-offs in the proposal.

Key Points to Mention

Business objective and measurable success criteria (e.g., reduce redirect errors by X%)
User personas and access patterns (e.g., internal service vs. public API)
Integration points: existing APIs, authentication/authorization, data flow
Non-functional requirements: latency, throughput, availability, security (e.g., open redirect prevention)
Failure modes and error handling: what happens if the redirect target is down or invalid?
Scope boundaries and MVP vs. future enhancements

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.