Understanding REST APIs

A REST API (Representational State Transfer) allows applications to communicate over HTTP using resources and endpoints.

Core Concepts

• Resource: e.g., /users
• Endpoint: a specific URL for a resource
• Methods: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE

Example

GET /users → fetch all users
POST /users → create a new user
PUT /users/:id → update an existing user
DELETE /users/:id → remove a user

Best Practices

• Use nouns, not verbs, in endpoints
• Return proper HTTP status codes
• Keep responses consistent (usually JSON)

REST APIs remain the backbone of modern web and mobile applications.