A well-designed API is a joy to use. A poorly designed one causes frustration and support tickets. Here are the best practices we follow when building REST APIs.
Resource Naming – Use nouns, not verbs: `/users` not `/getUsers`. Use plural forms consistently. Nest resources hierarchically: `/users/123/orders`.
HTTP Methods – GET for retrieval, POST for creation, PUT for full updates, PATCH for partial updates, DELETE for removal. Use the right status codes.
Versioning – Version your API from day one. Use URL versioning (`/v1/users`) or header versioning. Avoid breaking changes; deprecate gracefully.
Pagination – Use cursor-based pagination for large datasets. Include `next` and `prev` links. Avoid offset pagination for real-time data.
Error Handling – Return consistent error format with `code`, `message`, and `details`. Use appropriate HTTP status codes: 400 for bad request, 401 for unauthorized, 404 for not found.
Documentation – Use OpenAPI/Swagger for interactive docs. Keep examples up to date. Document rate limits, authentication, and error responses.
Security – Use HTTPS, validate input, rate limit, and authenticate properly. Never expose sensitive data in URLs or error messages.
Good API design is an investment. Your future self and your API consumers will thank you.