Navigating the world of system design interviews, especially for tech giants like Meta, can be a daunting task. With the increasing complexity of applications and services, understanding core principles is essential. This article presents 90 carefully curated system design interview questions, covering a range of topics from database architecture to real-time systems.
90 Meta System Design Interview Questions
Whether you’re preparing for your first interview or brushing up on your skills, these questions will provide insights into the expectations and challenges you may face. Get ready to enhance your knowledge and confidence, paving the way for success in your upcoming system design interviews.
General System Design
- Design a URL shortening service like Bitly.
- How would you design a social media feed?
- Design a photo-sharing application like Instagram.
- Design an online book store.
- Design a ticket booking system for a concert.
- How would you design a news feed algorithm?
- Design a video streaming platform like YouTube.
- Design a ride-sharing application like Uber.
- How would you design a chat application?
- Design a file storage system like Dropbox.
Database Design
- Design a database for a library management system.
- How would you design a schema for a blogging platform?
- Design a database for an e-commerce site.
- How would you handle versioning in a database?
- Design a schema for a customer relationship management (CRM) system.
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Scalability and Performance
- How would you scale a web application to handle millions of users?
- Discuss how you would optimize a database query.
- How do you handle cache invalidation?
- Design a system that can handle a large number of concurrent users.
- Explain how load balancing works and design a load balancer.
APIs and Microservices
- How would you design a RESTful API for an e-commerce platform?
- Explain how you would implement service discovery in a microservices architecture.
- Design an API for a weather forecasting service.
- How would you handle API versioning?
- Discuss the pros and cons of using GraphQL vs. REST.
Security
- How would you secure sensitive user data in your application?
- Discuss how you would implement user authentication and authorization.
- How do you prevent SQL injection in your application?
- Explain how to design a secure messaging system.
- How would you handle data encryption at rest and in transit?
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Reliability and Availability
- How do you design a system that is fault-tolerant?
- Discuss strategies for achieving high availability in a web application.
- How would you implement disaster recovery for a critical system?
- Design a monitoring system for your application.
- How would you handle system outages and downtime?
Real-Time Systems
- How would you design a real-time collaboration tool?
- Discuss how to build a real-time messaging application.
- How would you design a stock trading system?
- Design a notification system for a mobile app.
- How would you build a real-time analytics dashboard?
Specific Use Cases
- Design a ride-hailing application (e.g., Uber).
- How would you design a product recommendation engine?
- Design a job listing website like LinkedIn.
- How would you build a quiz application?
- Design a multiplayer online game.
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Advanced Topics
- Explain the CAP theorem and how it applies to distributed systems.
- Discuss the trade-offs between consistency, availability, and partition tolerance.
- How would you implement a distributed database?
- Design a blockchain-based application.
- Discuss the concept of eventual consistency.
Monitoring and Metrics
- How would you design a logging system for your application?
- Discuss key metrics to monitor for a web application.
- How do you implement A/B testing in your application?
- Design a performance monitoring tool.
- How would you handle rate limiting?
User Experience
- How do you ensure a seamless user experience in your application?
- Discuss how you would implement user feedback mechanisms.
- Design a search functionality for a large dataset.
- How would you implement a responsive design for your application?
- Discuss ways to improve user onboarding.
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Case Studies
- Design a system for a university to manage student enrollment.
- How would you design a platform for online courses?
- Design a grocery delivery service.
- Discuss the architecture for an online gaming platform.
- How would you build a travel booking system?
Miscellaneous
- Design a system for tracking fitness activities.
- How would you design an event scheduling application?
- Discuss how you would implement a web crawler.
- Design a peer-to-peer file sharing application.
- How would you create a marketplace for freelancers?
Additional Questions
- How do you approach system design for an IoT application?
- Design an application to monitor and analyze user behavior.
- How would you design a loyalty program for a retail chain?
- Discuss the importance of data modeling in system design.
- Design a system to manage customer feedback.
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Coding and Algorithms
- How do you implement pagination in a web application?
- Discuss the time complexity of different sorting algorithms.
- How would you design a caching mechanism?
- Implement a function to find duplicates in an array.
- How do you handle circular dependencies in a system?
User Management
- How would you implement a user profile management system?
- Discuss how to design a subscription management system.
- How do you handle user data migration?
- Design a password recovery system.
- How would you implement two-factor authentication?
Future Trends and Technologies
- Discuss the impact of AI and machine learning on system design.
- How do you see the future of cloud computing?
- Design a system that incorporates augmented reality.
- How would you design for edge computing?
- Discuss the role of serverless architecture in modern system design.
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By familiarizing yourself with these 90 system design interview questions, you’ll be better equipped to tackle the complexities of technical interviews at Meta and beyond. Use this guide to refine your skills and enhance your understanding of system design principles, ensuring you’re prepared for any challenge.