REST API Design Best Practices for Modern Web Applications

Designing a good REST API is crucial for building scalable and maintainable web applications. Let’s explore the best practices.

Core Principles

1. Use RESTful URL Conventions

• Use nouns, not verbs: /users instead of /getUsers
• Use plural nouns: /products not /product
• Use hierarchical structure: /users/{id}/orders

2. HTTP Methods

• GET – Retrieve resources
• POST – Create new resources
• PUT – Update entire resources
• PATCH – Partial updates
• DELETE – Remove resources

3. Status Codes

• 200 – Success
• 201 – Created
• 400 – Bad Request
• 401 – Unauthorized
• 404 – Not Found
• 500 – Server Error

4. Versioning

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

5. Error Handling

{
  "error": {
    "code": "USER_NOT_FOUND",
    "message": "User does not exist"
  }
}

Conclusion

Following these REST API best practices will help you build robust and developer-friendly APIs!