REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style for networked applications. A REST API commonly exposes resources through URLs and uses HTTP semantics to retrieve or modify them.

Example endpoints

• GET /api/products — list products.
• GET /api/products/101 — retrieve product 101.
• POST /api/products — create a product.
• PATCH /api/products/101 — update selected fields.
• DELETE /api/products/101 — request removal of a product.

Important REST principles

• Client–server separation: frontend and backend have distinct responsibilities.
• Statelessness: each request carries the context needed to process it; the server should not depend on previous request context.
• Cacheability: responses can specify whether they may be cached.
• Uniform interface: resources are accessed through consistent conventions.
• Layered system: gateways, proxies, and other intermediaries may sit between client and server.
• Code on demand is optional.

Good API practices

• Use nouns for resources and consistent URL conventions.
• Use HTTP methods according to their semantics.
• Return meaningful status codes and consistent error structures.
• Validate inputs and enforce authorization on the server.
• Support pagination for large collections.
• Document compatibility and versioning decisions