REST API
REST (Representational State Transfer) API is an architectural style for building web services that communicate over HTTP. REST APIs use standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to perform opera…
Last updated:
Definition
REST (Representational State Transfer) API is an architectural style for building web services that communicate over HTTP. REST APIs use standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to perform operations on resources identified by URLs. Nearly every web and mobile application uses REST APIs to exchange data between the frontend and backend.
Key Points
- Uses standard HTTP methods: GET (read), POST (create), PUT (update), DELETE (remove)
- Stateless — each request contains all information needed to process it
- Returns data in JSON format (most common) or XML
- Fundamental building block of modern web and mobile applications
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
REST uses fixed endpoints that return predetermined data structures. GraphQL uses a single endpoint where clients specify exactly what data they need. REST is simpler and better for standard CRUD operations. GraphQL excels when clients need flexible data queries or when reducing network requests matters.
Key security measures: HTTPS for encryption, JWT or OAuth 2.0 for authentication, rate limiting to prevent abuse, input validation to prevent injection attacks, CORS configuration, and API keys for third-party access. Always validate and sanitise inputs on the server side.
Need Help With REST API?
Sparks AI can help you leverage rest api for your business. Let's talk.