How to Design a RESTful API

Designing a Good REST API

Well-designed APIs are intuitive, consistent, and easy to use. Follow these conventions.

1. Use Nouns for Resources

✅ GET /users
✅ GET /users/1
❌ GET /getUsers
❌ GET /user/fetch/1

2. Use HTTP Methods Correctly

GET    /users      # list
POST   /users      # create
GET    /users/1    # read one
PUT    /users/1    # update
DELETE /users/1    # delete

3. Use Proper Status Codes

Code	Meaning
200	Success
201	Created
400	Bad request
401	Unauthorized
404	Not found

4. Version Your API

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

5. Support Filtering & Pagination

GET /users?page=2&limit=20&sort=name

6. Return Consistent JSON

{ "success": true, "data": {...}, "error": null }

FAQs

Plural or singular resource names?

Use plural (/users) consistently. More in our API Development guides.

How do I document my API?

Use OpenAPI/Swagger for interactive docs.