REST API
A REST API is a standardized way for software applications to communicate over the internet using HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE to create, read, update, and delete data.
REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style for designing networked applications. A REST API defines a set of endpoints (URLs) that other software can call to perform operations on data. Each endpoint represents a resource (like users, products, or orders), and HTTP methods define what action to take.
REST APIs are the backbone of modern web architecture. When you use a mobile app, it's likely calling REST APIs to fetch and update data. When a website displays dynamic content, it often pulls data from REST APIs.
In practice
- An e-commerce platform built REST APIs for their product catalog, enabling them to launch a mobile app in 3 months by reusing the same backend
- A CRM company exposed REST APIs that let customers build custom integrations, increasing platform stickiness and reducing churn by 25%
- A logistics company connected their warehouse, shipping, and customer systems through REST APIs, automating order fulfillment and reducing processing time from hours to minutes
- A healthcare startup designed their API with versioning (/api/v1/, /api/v2/) allowing them to evolve their platform without breaking existing integrations
More in Web development
- Responsive Design
- Progressive Web App (PWA)
- Single-Page Application (SPA)
- Server-Side Rendering (SSR)
- Static Site Generation (SSG)
- API (Application Programming Interface)
- CMS (Content Management System)
- Headless CMS
- Version Control
- CI/CD (Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment)
- JavaScript Framework
- TypeScript
Not sure how this applies to you?
A senior engineer walks your site, your search presence and the way enquiries reach you, then writes down the three things worth fixing first. You keep the document either way.