REST Principles

REST is an architectural style, not a protocol. Based on resources, HTTP methods, and stateless communication.

Endpoint Naming

✓ Correct:
GET    /users          Get all users
GET    /users/:id      Get single user
POST   /users          Create user
PUT    /users/:id      Full update
PATCH  /users/:id      Partial update
DELETE /users/:id      Delete user

✗ Wrong:
GET /getUser
POST /createNewUser
DELETE /removeUser/:id

Status Codes

200 OK          - Success
201 Created     - Resource created
204 No Content  - Successful deletion
400 Bad Request - Client error
401 Unauthorized - Not authenticated
403 Forbidden   - Not authorized
404 Not Found   - Resource missing
500 Server Error - Internal error

Pagination

// GET /posts?page=2&limit=10

{
  "data": [...],
  "pagination": {
    "page": 2,
    "limit": 10,
    "total": 100,
    "totalPages": 10
  }
}

Error Handling

{
  "error": {
    "code": "VALIDATION_ERROR",
    "message": "Invalid email format",
    "details": [
      { "field": "email", "message": "Invalid format" }
    ]
  }
}

Conclusion

Consistency matters more than perfection. Document your API well and follow established conventions.