diff --git a/plugins/notifications-backend/package.json b/plugins/notifications-backend/package.json
index 5957f28a20e..d0f3368a865 100644
--- a/plugins/notifications-backend/package.json
+++ b/plugins/notifications-backend/package.json
@@ -21,18 +21,23 @@
     "clean": "backstage-cli package clean",
     "prepack": "backstage-cli package prepack",
     "postpack": "backstage-cli package postpack",
-    "tsc": "tsc"
+    "tsc": "tsc",
+    "openapi": "npx openapicmd typegen src/openapi.yaml > src/openapi.d.ts"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@backstage/backend-common": "0.19.8",
+    "@backstage/backend-openapi-utils": "^0.1.0",
     "@backstage/catalog-client": "^1.4.5",
     "@backstage/config": "^1.1.1",
     "@types/express": "*",
+    "ajv-formats": "^2.1.1",
     "express": "^4.18.2",
     "express-promise-router": "^4.1.1",
     "knex": "2.5.1",
     "lodash": "^4.17.21",
     "node-fetch": "^3.3.2",
+    "openapi": "^1.0.1",
+    "openapi-backend": "^5.10.5",
     "winston": "^3.11.0",
     "yn": "^4.0.0"
   },
diff --git a/plugins/notifications-backend/src/openapi.d.ts b/plugins/notifications-backend/src/openapi.d.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..59fa4701290
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/notifications-backend/src/openapi.d.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,217 @@
+import type {
+  AxiosRequestConfig,
+  OpenAPIClient,
+  OperationResponse,
+  Parameters,
+  UnknownParamsObject,
+} from 'openapi-client-axios';
+
+declare namespace Components {
+  namespace Schemas {
+    export interface Action {
+      id: string;
+      title: string;
+      url: string;
+    }
+    export interface CreateBody {
+      origin: string;
+      title: string;
+      message?: string;
+      actions?: {
+        title: string;
+        url: string;
+      }[];
+      topic?: string;
+      targetUsers?: string[];
+      targetGroups?: string[];
+    }
+    export interface Notification {
+      id: string;
+      created: string; // date-time
+      readByUser: boolean;
+      isSystem: boolean;
+      origin: string;
+      title: string;
+      message?: string;
+      topic?: string;
+      actions: Action[];
+    }
+    export type Notifications = Notification[];
+  }
+}
+declare namespace Paths {
+  namespace CreateNotification {
+    export type RequestBody = Components.Schemas.CreateBody;
+    namespace Responses {
+      export interface $200 {
+        /**
+         * example:
+         * bc9f19de-8b7b-49a8-9262-c5036a1ed35e
+         */
+        messageId: string;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  namespace GetNotifications {
+    namespace Parameters {
+      export type ContainsText = string;
+      export type CreatedAfter = string; // date-time
+      export type MessageScope = 'all' | 'user' | 'system';
+      export type OrderBy =
+        | 'title'
+        | 'message'
+        | 'created'
+        | 'topic'
+        | 'origin';
+      export type OrderByDirec = 'asc' | 'desc';
+      export type PageNumber = number;
+      export type PageSize = number;
+      export type Read = boolean;
+      export type User = string;
+    }
+    export interface QueryParameters {
+      pageSize?: Parameters.PageSize;
+      pageNumber?: Parameters.PageNumber;
+      orderBy?: Parameters.OrderBy;
+      orderByDirec?: Parameters.OrderByDirec;
+      containsText?: Parameters.ContainsText;
+      createdAfter?: Parameters.CreatedAfter /* date-time */;
+      messageScope?: Parameters.MessageScope;
+      user?: Parameters.User;
+      read?: Parameters.Read;
+    }
+    namespace Responses {
+      export type $200 = Components.Schemas.Notifications;
+    }
+  }
+  namespace GetNotificationsCount {
+    namespace Parameters {
+      export type ContainsText = string;
+      export type CreatedAfter = string; // date-time
+      export type MessageScope = 'all' | 'user' | 'system';
+      export type Read = boolean;
+      export type User = string;
+    }
+    export interface QueryParameters {
+      containsText?: Parameters.ContainsText;
+      createdAfter?: Parameters.CreatedAfter /* date-time */;
+      messageScope?: Parameters.MessageScope;
+      user?: Parameters.User;
+      read?: Parameters.Read;
+    }
+    namespace Responses {
+      export interface $200 {
+        count: number;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  namespace SetRead {
+    namespace Parameters {
+      export type MessageId = string;
+      export type Read = boolean;
+      export type User = string;
+    }
+    export interface QueryParameters {
+      messageId: Parameters.MessageId;
+      user: Parameters.User;
+      read: Parameters.Read;
+    }
+    namespace Responses {
+      export interface $200 {}
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+export interface OperationMethods {
+  /**
+   * getNotifications - Gets notifications
+   *
+   * Gets notifications
+   */
+  'getNotifications'(
+    parameters?: Parameters<Paths.GetNotifications.QueryParameters> | null,
+    data?: any,
+    config?: AxiosRequestConfig,
+  ): OperationResponse<Paths.GetNotifications.Responses.$200>;
+  /**
+   * createNotification - Create notification
+   *
+   * Create notification
+   */
+  'createNotification'(
+    parameters?: Parameters<UnknownParamsObject> | null,
+    data?: Paths.CreateNotification.RequestBody,
+    config?: AxiosRequestConfig,
+  ): OperationResponse<Paths.CreateNotification.Responses.$200>;
+  /**
+   * getNotificationsCount - Get notifications count
+   *
+   * Gets notifications count
+   */
+  'getNotificationsCount'(
+    parameters?: Parameters<Paths.GetNotificationsCount.QueryParameters> | null,
+    data?: any,
+    config?: AxiosRequestConfig,
+  ): OperationResponse<Paths.GetNotificationsCount.Responses.$200>;
+  /**
+   * setRead - Set notification as read/unread
+   *
+   * Set notification as read/unread
+   */
+  'setRead'(
+    parameters?: Parameters<Paths.SetRead.QueryParameters> | null,
+    data?: any,
+    config?: AxiosRequestConfig,
+  ): OperationResponse<Paths.SetRead.Responses.$200>;
+}
+
+export interface PathsDictionary {
+  ['/notifications']: {
+    /**
+     * createNotification - Create notification
+     *
+     * Create notification
+     */
+    'post'(
+      parameters?: Parameters<UnknownParamsObject> | null,
+      data?: Paths.CreateNotification.RequestBody,
+      config?: AxiosRequestConfig,
+    ): OperationResponse<Paths.CreateNotification.Responses.$200>;
+    /**
+     * getNotifications - Gets notifications
+     *
+     * Gets notifications
+     */
+    'get'(
+      parameters?: Parameters<Paths.GetNotifications.QueryParameters> | null,
+      data?: any,
+      config?: AxiosRequestConfig,
+    ): OperationResponse<Paths.GetNotifications.Responses.$200>;
+  };
+  ['/notifications/count']: {
+    /**
+     * getNotificationsCount - Get notifications count
+     *
+     * Gets notifications count
+     */
+    'get'(
+      parameters?: Parameters<Paths.GetNotificationsCount.QueryParameters> | null,
+      data?: any,
+      config?: AxiosRequestConfig,
+    ): OperationResponse<Paths.GetNotificationsCount.Responses.$200>;
+  };
+  ['/notifications/read']: {
+    /**
+     * setRead - Set notification as read/unread
+     *
+     * Set notification as read/unread
+     */
+    'put'(
+      parameters?: Parameters<Paths.SetRead.QueryParameters> | null,
+      data?: any,
+      config?: AxiosRequestConfig,
+    ): OperationResponse<Paths.SetRead.Responses.$200>;
+  };
+}
+
+export type Client = OpenAPIClient<OperationMethods, PathsDictionary>;
diff --git a/plugins/notifications-backend/src/service/handlers.ts b/plugins/notifications-backend/src/service/handlers.ts
index 90f19d86aa6..69dc267414c 100644
--- a/plugins/notifications-backend/src/service/handlers.ts
+++ b/plugins/notifications-backend/src/service/handlers.ts
@@ -3,16 +3,16 @@ import { CatalogClient } from '@backstage/catalog-client';
 
 import { Knex } from 'knex';
 
+import { Components, Paths } from '../openapi';
 import { ActionsInsert, MessagesInsert } from './db';
 import {
-  CreateNotificationRequest,
   DefaultMessageScope,
   DefaultOrderBy,
   DefaultOrderDirection,
   DefaultPageNumber,
   DefaultPageSize,
   DefaultUser,
-  Notification,
+  MessageScopes,
   NotificationsFilterRequest,
   NotificationsOrderByDirections,
   NotificationsOrderByFields,
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ import {
 export async function createNotification(
   dbClient: Knex<any, any>,
   catalogClient: CatalogClient,
-  req: CreateNotificationRequest,
-): Promise<{ messageId: string }> {
+  req: Paths.CreateNotification.RequestBody,
+): Promise<Paths.CreateNotification.Responses.$200> {
   let isUser = false;
 
   // validate users
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ export async function getNotifications(
   pageSize: number = DefaultPageSize,
   pageNumber: number = DefaultPageNumber,
   sorting: NotificationsSortingRequest,
-): Promise<Notification[]> {
+): Promise<Paths.GetNotifications.Responses.$200> {
   if (
     pageSize < 0 ||
     pageNumber < 0 ||
@@ -152,17 +152,21 @@ export async function getNotifications(
 
   if (!filter.messageScope) {
     filter.messageScope = DefaultMessageScope;
+  } else if (!MessageScopes.includes(filter.messageScope)) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `messageScope parameter must be one of ${MessageScopes.join()}`,
+    );
   }
 
   if (!filter.user) {
     filter.user = DefaultUser;
   }
 
-  const orderBy = sorting.fieldName || DefaultOrderBy;
-  const direction = sorting.direction || DefaultOrderDirection;
+  const orderBy = sorting.orderBy || DefaultOrderBy;
+  const orderByDirec = sorting.OrderByDirec || DefaultOrderDirection;
   if (
     !NotificationsOrderByFields.includes(orderBy) ||
-    !NotificationsOrderByDirections.includes(direction)
+    !NotificationsOrderByDirections.includes(orderByDirec)
   ) {
     throw new Error(
       `The orderBy parameter can be one of ${NotificationsOrderByFields.join(
@@ -177,15 +181,15 @@ export async function getNotifications(
 
   const query = createQuery(dbClient, filter, userGroups);
 
-  query.orderBy(orderBy, direction);
+  query.orderBy(orderBy, orderByDirec);
 
   if (pageNumber > 0) {
     query.limit(pageSize).offset((pageNumber - 1) * pageSize);
   }
 
-  const notifications: Notification[] = await query.select('*').then(messages =>
+  const notifications = await query.select('*').then(messages =>
     messages.map((message: any) => {
-      const notification: Notification = {
+      const notification: Components.Schemas.Notification = {
         id: message.id,
         created: message.created,
         isSystem: message.is_system,
@@ -225,7 +229,7 @@ export async function getNotificationsCount(
   dbClient: Knex<any, any>,
   catalogClient: CatalogClient,
   filter: NotificationsFilterRequest,
-): Promise<{ count: number }> {
+): Promise<Paths.GetNotificationsCount.Responses.$200> {
   if (!filter.messageScope) {
     filter.messageScope = DefaultMessageScope;
   }
@@ -364,10 +368,10 @@ function createQuery(
 
   // filter by read/unread
   switch (filter.read) {
-    case 'true':
+    case true:
       query.andWhere('read', true);
       break;
-    case 'false':
+    case false:
       query.andWhere(function () {
         this.where('read', false).orWhereNull('read');
       });
diff --git a/plugins/notifications-backend/src/service/router.ts b/plugins/notifications-backend/src/service/router.ts
index 8f5dbaf12b4..ef2e070e50e 100644
--- a/plugins/notifications-backend/src/service/router.ts
+++ b/plugins/notifications-backend/src/service/router.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
-import { errorHandler } from '@backstage/backend-common';
 import { CatalogClient } from '@backstage/catalog-client';
 import { Config } from '@backstage/config';
 
+import { fullFormats } from 'ajv-formats/dist/formats';
 import express from 'express';
 import Router from 'express-promise-router';
+import { Context, OpenAPIBackend, Request } from 'openapi-backend';
 import { Logger } from 'winston';
 
+import { Paths } from '../openapi';
 import { initDB } from './db';
 import {
   createNotification,
@@ -13,7 +15,6 @@ import {
   getNotificationsCount,
   setRead,
 } from './handlers';
-import { NotificationsSortingRequest } from './types';
 
 interface RouterOptions {
   logger: Logger;
@@ -26,104 +27,107 @@ export async function createRouter(
 ): Promise<express.Router> {
   const { logger, dbConfig, catalogClient } = options;
 
-  const router = Router();
-  router.use(express.json());
-
+  // create DB client and tables
   if (!dbConfig) {
     logger.error('Missing dbConfig');
     throw new Error('Missing database config');
   }
 
-  // create DB client and tables
   const dbClient = await initDB(dbConfig);
 
-  // rest endpoints/operations
-  router.get('/health', (_, response) => {
-    response.json({ status: 'ok' });
+  // create openapi requests handler
+
+  const api = new OpenAPIBackend({
+    ajvOpts: {
+      formats: fullFormats, // open issue: https://github.com/openapistack/openapi-backend/issues/280
+    },
+    validate: true,
+    definition: '../../plugins/notifications-backend/src/openapi.yaml',
   });
 
-  router.get('/notifications/count', (request, response, next) => {
-    getNotificationsCount(dbClient, catalogClient, request.query)
-      .then(result => response.json(result))
+  await api.init();
+
+  api.register(
+    'createNotification',
+    (
+      c: Context<Paths.CreateNotification.RequestBody>,
+      _,
+      res: express.Response,
+      next,
+    ) => {
+      createNotification(dbClient, catalogClient, c.request.requestBody)
+        .then(result => res.json(result))
+        .catch(next);
+    },
+  );
+
+  api.register('getNotifications', (c, _, res: express.Response, next) => {
+    const q: Paths.GetNotifications.QueryParameters = Object.assign(
+      {},
+      c.request.query,
+    );
+
+    // we need to convert strings to real types due to open PR https://github.com/openapistack/openapi-backend/pull/571
+    q.pageNumber = stringToNumber(q.pageNumber);
+    q.pageSize = stringToNumber(q.pageSize);
+    q.read = stringToBool(q.read);
+
+    getNotifications(dbClient, catalogClient, q, q.pageSize, q.pageNumber, q)
+      .then(notifications => res.json(notifications))
       .catch(next);
   });
 
-  router.get('/notifications', (request, response, next) => {
-    const { pageSize, pageNumber, orderBy, orderByDirec } = request.query;
+  api.register('getNotificationsCount', (c, _, res: express.Response, next) => {
+    const q: Paths.GetNotificationsCount.QueryParameters = Object.assign(
+      {},
+      c.request.query,
+    );
 
-    if (
-      (typeof pageSize !== 'string' && typeof pageSize !== 'undefined') ||
-      (typeof pageNumber !== 'string' && typeof pageNumber !== 'undefined')
-    ) {
-      throw new Error(
-        'either pageSize or pageNumber query string parameters are missing/invalid',
-      );
-    }
-
-    const pageSizeNum = pageSize ? Number.parseInt(pageSize, 10) : undefined;
-    const pageNumberNum = pageNumber
-      ? Number.parseInt(pageNumber, 10)
-      : undefined;
+    // we need to convert strings to real types due to open PR https://github.com/openapistack/openapi-backend/pull/571
+    q.read = q.read = stringToBool(q.read);
 
-    if (Number.isNaN(pageSizeNum) || Number.isNaN(pageNumberNum)) {
-      throw new Error('either pageSize or pageNumber is not a number');
-    }
-
-    const sorting: NotificationsSortingRequest = {
-      fieldName: orderBy?.toString(),
-      direction: orderByDirec?.toString(),
-    };
-
-    getNotifications(
-      dbClient,
-      catalogClient,
-      request.query,
-      pageSizeNum,
-      pageNumberNum,
-      sorting,
-    )
-      .then(notifications => response.json(notifications))
+    getNotificationsCount(dbClient, catalogClient, q)
+      .then(result => res.json(result))
       .catch(next);
   });
 
-  router.post('/notifications', (request, response, next) => {
-    createNotification(dbClient, catalogClient, request.body)
-      .then(result => response.json(result))
+  api.register('setRead', (c, _, res: express.Response, next) => {
+    const messageId = c.request.query.messageId.toString();
+    const user = c.request.query.user.toString();
+    const read = c.request.query.read.toString() === 'true';
+
+    setRead(dbClient, messageId, user, read)
+      .then(result => res.json(result))
       .catch(next);
   });
 
-  router.put('/notifications/read', (request, response, next) => {
-    const { messageId, user, read } = request.query;
-    if (
-      typeof messageId !== 'string' ||
-      typeof user !== 'string' ||
-      typeof read !== 'string'
-    ) {
-      throw new Error(
-        'the following query parameters must be provided: messageId - string, user - string, read - false/true (boolean)',
-      );
-    }
+  // create router
 
-    let readBool: boolean;
-
-    switch (read) {
-      case 'true':
-        readBool = true;
-        break;
-      case 'false':
-        readBool = false;
-        break;
-      default:
-        throw new Error(
-          'value of parameter "read" must be either "false" or "true"',
-        );
+  const router = Router();
+  router.use(express.json());
+  router.use((req, res, next) => {
+    if (!next) {
+      throw new Error('next is undefined');
+    }
+    const validation = api.validateRequest(req as Request);
+    if (!validation.valid) {
+      throw validation.errors;
     }
 
-    setRead(dbClient, messageId, user, readBool)
-      .then(() => response.end())
-      .catch(next);
+    api.handleRequest(req as Request, req, res, next);
   });
 
-  router.use(errorHandler());
   return router;
 }
+
+function stringToNumber(s: number | undefined): number | undefined {
+  return s ? Number.parseInt(s.toString(), 10) : undefined;
+}
+
+function stringToBool(s: boolean | undefined): boolean | undefined {
+  if (!s) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+
+  return s.toString() === 'true' ? true : false;
+}
diff --git a/plugins/notifications-backend/src/service/types.ts b/plugins/notifications-backend/src/service/types.ts
index 689ff26ca37..2191e4c3cde 100644
--- a/plugins/notifications-backend/src/service/types.ts
+++ b/plugins/notifications-backend/src/service/types.ts
@@ -1,39 +1,3 @@
-export type NotificationAction = {
-  id: string; // UUID
-  title: string;
-  url: string;
-};
-
-/**
- * Basic object representing a notification.
- */
-export type Notification = {
-  id: string; // UUID
-  created: Date;
-  readByUser: boolean;
-  isSystem: boolean;
-
-  origin: string;
-  title: string;
-  message?: string;
-  topic?: string;
-
-  actions: NotificationAction[];
-};
-
-/**
- * Input data for the POST request (create a notification).
- */
-export type CreateNotificationRequest = {
-  origin: string;
-  title: string;
-  message?: string;
-  actions?: { title: string; url: string }[];
-  topic?: string;
-  targetUsers?: string[];
-  targetGroups?: string[];
-};
-
 export type NotificationsFilterRequest = {
   /**
    * Filter notifications whose either title or message contains the provided string.
@@ -43,7 +7,7 @@ export type NotificationsFilterRequest = {
   /**
    * Only notifications created after this timestamp will be included.
    */
-  createdAfter?: Date;
+  createdAfter?: string;
 
   /**
    * See MessageScopes
@@ -61,24 +25,17 @@ export type NotificationsFilterRequest = {
    * 'false' for user's unread messages, 'true' for read ones.
    * If undefined, then both marks.
    */
-  read?: string;
+  read?: boolean;
 };
 
 /**
  * How the result set is sorted.
  */
 export type NotificationsSortingRequest = {
-  fieldName?: string;
-  direction?: string;
+  orderBy?: string;
+  OrderByDirec?: string;
 };
 
-export type NotificationsOrderByFieldsType =
-  | 'title'
-  | 'message'
-  | 'created'
-  | 'topic'
-  | 'origin';
-
 export const NotificationsOrderByFields: string[] = [
   'title',
   'message',
@@ -87,15 +44,8 @@ export const NotificationsOrderByFields: string[] = [
   'origin',
 ];
 
-export type NotificationsOrderByDirectionsType = 'asc' | 'desc';
-
 export const NotificationsOrderByDirections: string[] = ['asc', 'desc'];
 
-export type NotificationsQuerySorting = {
-  fieldName: NotificationsOrderByFieldsType;
-  direction: NotificationsOrderByDirectionsType;
-};
-
 /**
  * MessageScopes
  * When 'user' is requested, then messages whose targetUsers or targetGroups are matching the "user".