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10 Rest API Best Practices 1687451736

The document outlines 10 best practices for REST APIs, including using descriptive resource names, appropriate HTTP methods and status codes, versioning APIs, consistent JSON field naming, query parameters for filtering and sorting, consistent error messages, avoiding state maintenance, implementing authentication and authorization, and documenting APIs.

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santu517
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© © All Rights Reserved
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42 views

10 Rest API Best Practices 1687451736

The document outlines 10 best practices for REST APIs, including using descriptive resource names, appropriate HTTP methods and status codes, versioning APIs, consistent JSON field naming, query parameters for filtering and sorting, consistent error messages, avoiding state maintenance, implementing authentication and authorization, and documenting APIs.

Uploaded by

santu517
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CODEWITH_RAJESH

RAJESH KUMAR

10 REST API
BEST
PRACTICES

CODEWITH_RAJESH

RAJESH KUMAR

1. Use descriptive and meaningful


resource names

Instead of generic or ambiguous names, choose


resource names that accurately represent the
entities they represent

Bad
/api/users/123

Good
/api/customers/123
CODEWITH_RAJESH

RAJESH KUMAR

2. Use HTTP methods correctly

Use the appropriate HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT,


DELETE, etc.) for different operations

GET Retrieve a resource

POST Create a new resource

PUT Update an existing resource

DELETE Delete a resource


CODEWITH_RAJESH

RAJESH KUMAR

3. Use HTTP status codes correctly

Return the appropriate HTTP status codes to indicate


the success or failure of an API request

200 OK: Successful GET request

201 Created: Successful resource creation

404 Not Found: Resource not found

Bad Request:
400 The request was invalid or cannot be served

401 Unauthorized: The request requires authentication

Forbidden: The server understands the request,


403 but it refuses to authorize it.

500 Internal Server Error: Server error


CODEWITH_RAJESH

RAJESH KUMAR

4. Version your APIs

Use versioning to ensure backward compatibility and


allow for future enhancements without breaking
existing clients.

Versioning Method Description Format

The version number is included in


URL path the URL path, such as api/v1/resources
"api/v1/resources"

The version number is included as


URL query parameter a parameter in the URL, such as api?version=1
"api?version=1"

A custom header, such as "X-API-


Custom request
Version" is used to specify the X-API-Version: 1
header
version number

The client specifies the desired Accept:


Content negotiation version through the use of the application/vnd.company.re
"Accept" header in the request source-v1+json
CODEWITH_RAJESH

RAJESH KUMAR

5. Pick your JSON field naming


convention (and stick to it)

JSON standard doesn't impose a field naming


convention, but it's a best practice to pick one and
stick with it.

Convention Description Example

Lowercase letters with


snake_case "user_name"
underscores separating words

Lowercase first letter of first


camelCase word, capitalizing subsequent "userName"
words

Capitalizing the first letter of


PascalCase "UserName"
each word

Lowercase letters with hyphens


kebab-case "user-name"
separating words
CODEWITH_RAJESH

RAJESH KUMAR

6. Use query parameters for


filtering, sorting, and searching

Query parameters allow you to provide additional


information in the URL of an HTTP request to control
the response returned by the server.

Action Description Example

Return only the relevant


Filter /users?name={name}
results for a specific request

Order the results in a


Sort /users?sort_by=age
specific manner

/users?page=
Divide the results into {page_number}&per_
Paginate
manageable parts or pages page=
{results_per_page}
CODEWITH_RAJESH

RAJESH KUMAR

7. Use consistent error messages


In most cases, HTTP status codes are not enough to explain what
went wrong.
To help your API consumers, include a structured JSON error
message.
The response should include the following information:

Error code: A machine-readable error code that identifies the


specific error condition.
Error message: A human-readable message that provides a
detailed explanation of the error.
Error context: Additional information related to the error, such
as the request ID, the request parameters that caused the
error, or the field(s) in the request that caused the error.
Error links: URLs to resources or documentation that provide
additional information about the error and how it can be
resolved.
Timestamp: The time when the error occurred.
CODEWITH_RAJESH

RAJESH KUMAR

8. Do not maintain state

A REST API should not maintain a state on the server. That's the
responsibility of the client.

This is important because it allows for the API to be cacheable,


scalable, and decoupled from the client.

For example, an e-commerce API might use cookies to maintain the


state of a shopping cart. However, such an approach violates key
the key principle of RESTful APIs - they need to be stateless.

CODEWITH_RAJESH

RAJESH KUMAR

9. Implement authentication and


authorization

Secure your APIs by implementing proper authentication and


authorization mechanisms.

USE API KEYS, TOKENS, OR OAUTH 2.0 FOR AUTHENTICATION


APPLY ROLE-BASED ACCESS CONTROL (RBAC) FOR
AUTHORIZATION
CODEWITH_RAJESH

RAJESH KUMAR

10. Document your APIs

Provide comprehensive documentation for your APIs, including


endpoint details, request/response examples, and usage guidelines

SWAGGER/OPENAPI DOCUMENTATION
MARKDOWN-BASED DOCUMENTATION (E.G., USING TOOLS
LIKE SWAGGER UI OR REDOC)
Thanks for reading!
Stay up-to-date with the latest
advancements in Java full stack
development by following me on the
handles below, where I'll be sharing my
expertise and experience in the field.

codewith_rajesh
Rajesh Kumar

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