Designing a REST API that is intuitive, maintainable, and scalable requires following established best practices. Here’s a comprehensive guide.

1. Use Nouns, Not Verbs

Good

GET    /users
GET    /users/123
POST   /users
PUT    /users/123
DELETE /users/123

Bad

GET    /getUsers
GET    /getUserById
POST   /createUser
PUT    /updateUser
DELETE /deleteUser

2. Use Plural Nouns

Good

GET /users
GET /orders
GET /products

Bad

GET /user
GET /order
GET /product

3. Use HTTP Methods Correctly

// GET - Retrieve resources
GET /users          // Get all users
GET /users/123      // Get specific user

// POST - Create new resources
POST /users         // Create new user

// PUT - Update entire resource
PUT /users/123      // Replace user

// PATCH - Partial update
PATCH /users/123    // Update specific fields

// DELETE - Remove resources
DELETE /users/123   // Delete user

4. Use Proper HTTP Status Codes

// Success
200 OK              // Successful GET, PUT, PATCH
201 Created         // Successful POST
204 No Content      // Successful DELETE

// Client Errors
400 Bad Request     // Invalid request
401 Unauthorized    // Authentication required
403 Forbidden       // Insufficient permissions
404 Not Found       // Resource doesn't exist
409 Conflict        // Resource conflict

// Server Errors
500 Internal Server Error
503 Service Unavailable

5. Consistent Response Format

{
  "data": {
    "id": 123,
    "name": "John Doe",
    "email": "[email protected]"
  },
  "meta": {
    "timestamp": "2024-11-15T10:00:00Z"
  }
}

Error Response Format

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

6. Versioning

URL Versioning

/api/v1/users
/api/v2/users

Header Versioning

Accept: application/vnd.api+json;version=1

7. Filtering, Sorting, Pagination

GET /users?page=1&limit=20
GET /users?sort=name&order=asc
GET /users?status=active&role=admin
GET /users?search=john

8. Nested Resources

GET    /users/123/posts
POST   /users/123/posts
GET    /users/123/posts/456
PUT    /users/123/posts/456
DELETE /users/123/posts/456

9. Use HTTPS

Always use HTTPS in production to encrypt data in transit.

10. API Documentation

Document your API using:

  • OpenAPI/Swagger
  • API Blueprint
  • Postman Collections

Best Practices Summary

  1. Use RESTful conventions
  2. Proper HTTP methods and status codes
  3. Consistent response formats
  4. Version your APIs
  5. Implement filtering, sorting, pagination
  6. Use HTTPS
  7. Document thoroughly
  8. Handle errors gracefully
  9. Rate limiting
  10. Authentication and authorization

Conclusion

Following these REST API design best practices helps you build:

  • Intuitive APIs
  • Maintainable endpoints
  • Scalable systems
  • Developer-friendly interfaces

Design with these principles in mind! 🚀