diff --git a/docs/src/index.md b/docs/src/index.md
index 85e7e55..867a691 100644
--- a/docs/src/index.md
+++ b/docs/src/index.md
@@ -123,6 +123,15 @@ ADTypes.SymbolicMode
 ADTypes.Auto
 ```
 
+## Gradient API
+
+```@docs
+ADTypes.GradientOrder
+ADTypes.gradient_order
+ADTypes.value_and_gradient!!
+ADTypes.value_and_jacobian!!
+```
+
 ## Deprecated
 
 ```@docs
diff --git a/src/ADTypes.jl b/src/ADTypes.jl
index de5f756..8f81b1f 100644
--- a/src/ADTypes.jl
+++ b/src/ADTypes.jl
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ include("dense.jl")
 include("sparse.jl")
 include("legacy.jl")
 include("symbols.jl")
+include("gradient_api.jl")
 
 # Automatic Differentiation
 export AbstractADType
@@ -55,6 +56,12 @@ export AutoChainRules,
 @public mode
 @public Auto
 
+# Gradient API (minimal interface for backends to implement)
+@public GradientOrder
+@public gradient_order
+@public value_and_gradient!!
+@public value_and_jacobian!!
+
 # Sparse Automatic Differentiation
 export AutoSparse
 @public dense_ad
diff --git a/src/gradient_api.jl b/src/gradient_api.jl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5b388b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gradient_api.jl
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+## Capability trait
+
+"""
+    GradientOrder{K}
+
+Trait indicating that an AD backend supports computing derivatives up to order `K`:
+
+  - `GradientOrder{0}()`: primal evaluation only
+  - `GradientOrder{1}()`: value + gradient / Jacobian
+  - `GradientOrder{2}()`: value + gradient + Hessian
+
+Backends declare their capability by implementing [`gradient_order`](@ref).
+Consumers can compare orders: `GradientOrder{1}() ≤ GradientOrder{2}()`.
+"""
+struct GradientOrder{K}
+    function GradientOrder{K}() where {K}
+        _K = Int(K)
+        _K ≥ 0 || throw(ArgumentError("GradientOrder requires K ≥ 0, got $_K"))
+        new{_K}()
+    end
+end
+
+GradientOrder(K::Integer) = GradientOrder{Int(K)}()
+
+Base.isless(::GradientOrder{J}, ::GradientOrder{K}) where {J, K} = J < K
+
+"""
+    gradient_order(backend::AbstractADType) -> GradientOrder{K} or nothing
+
+Return the [`GradientOrder`](@ref) supported by `backend`, or `nothing` if the backend
+does not implement the ADTypes gradient API.
+
+Backends declare support by adding a method:
+
+    ADTypes.gradient_order(::MyBackend) = GradientOrder{1}()
+"""
+gradient_order(::AbstractADType) = nothing
+
+## Interface functions
+
+"""
+    value_and_gradient!!(f, backend::AbstractADType, x)
+
+Compute the primal value `y = f(x)` and gradient `∇f(x)` for a scalar-valued function `f`.
+
+Returns `(y, g)` where `g` has the same structure as `x`.
+
+The `!!` signals that the backend may mutate internal cache state. The caller owns the
+returned values: mutable components (e.g. gradient arrays) may be overwritten on the next
+call with the same backend, so copy if you need to retain them.
+
+# Interface
+
+Backends supporting first-order derivatives implement:
+
+    ADTypes.value_and_gradient!!(f, ::MyBackend, x) = ...
+
+and declare:
+
+    ADTypes.gradient_order(::MyBackend) = GradientOrder{1}()
+
+See also: [`value_and_jacobian!!`](@ref), [`gradient_order`](@ref).
+"""
+function value_and_gradient!! end
+
+"""
+    value_and_jacobian!!(f, backend::AbstractADType, x)
+
+Compute the primal value `y = f(x)` and the Jacobian `∂f(x)` for a general function `f`.
+
+  - If `f` is scalar-valued, this is equivalent to [`value_and_gradient!!`](@ref).
+  - If `f` is vector-valued (`f : ℝⁿ → ℝᵐ`), returns the full `m × n` Jacobian matrix.
+
+The `!!` signals that the backend may mutate internal cache state. The caller owns the
+returned values.
+
+# Interface
+
+Backends implement:
+
+    ADTypes.value_and_jacobian!!(f, ::MyBackend, x) = ...
+
+See also: [`value_and_gradient!!`](@ref), [`gradient_order`](@ref).
+"""
+function value_and_jacobian!! end
+
+## Error fallbacks
+
+function value_and_gradient!!(f::F, ::T, x) where {F, T<:AbstractADType}
+    throw(ArgumentError(
+        "`ADTypes.value_and_gradient!!` is not implemented for backend `$T`. " *
+        "Add a method:\n    ADTypes.value_and_gradient!!(f, ::$T, x) = ...\n" *
+        "and declare:\n    ADTypes.gradient_order(::$T) = GradientOrder{1}()"
+    ))
+end
+
+function value_and_jacobian!!(f::F, ::T, x) where {F, T<:AbstractADType}
+    throw(ArgumentError(
+        "`ADTypes.value_and_jacobian!!` is not implemented for backend `$T`. " *
+        "Add a method:\n    ADTypes.value_and_jacobian!!(f, ::$T, x) = ...\n" *
+        "and declare:\n    ADTypes.gradient_order(::$T) = GradientOrder{1}()"
+    ))
+end
diff --git a/test/gradient_api.jl b/test/gradient_api.jl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ef6fe6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/gradient_api.jl
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+using ADTypes: GradientOrder, gradient_order
+
+struct UnimplementedBackend <: AbstractADType end
+
+@testset "GradientOrder trait" begin
+    @test GradientOrder{0}() isa GradientOrder
+    @test GradientOrder{1}() isa GradientOrder
+    @test GradientOrder{0}() < GradientOrder{1}()
+    @test GradientOrder{1}() < GradientOrder{2}()
+    @test !(GradientOrder{1}() < GradientOrder{1}())
+    @test_throws ArgumentError GradientOrder{-1}()
+end
+
+@testset "gradient_order" begin
+    @test gradient_order(UnimplementedBackend()) === nothing
+end
+
+@testset "Error fallbacks" begin
+    f = x -> x^2
+    backend = UnimplementedBackend()
+    @test_throws ArgumentError ADTypes.value_and_gradient!!(f, backend, 1.0)
+    @test_throws ArgumentError ADTypes.value_and_jacobian!!(f, backend, 1.0)
+end
diff --git a/test/public.jl b/test/public.jl
index b8ed0c6..d890cde 100644
--- a/test/public.jl
+++ b/test/public.jl
@@ -19,5 +19,10 @@ public_symbols = (
     # Matrix coloring
     :coloring_algorithm,
     :NoColoringAlgorithm,
+    # Gradient API
+    :GradientOrder,
+    :gradient_order,
+    :value_and_gradient!!,
+    :value_and_jacobian!!,
 )
 @test public_symbols ⊆ names(ADTypes)
diff --git a/test/runtests.jl b/test/runtests.jl
index c77d322..33171e1 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -115,6 +115,9 @@ end
     @testset "Miscellaneous" begin
         include("misc.jl")
     end
+    @testset "Gradient API" begin
+        include("gradient_api.jl")
+    end
     if VERSION >= v"1.11.0-DEV.469"
         @testset "Public" begin
             include("public.jl")