REST API
Representational State Transfer — an architectural style for designing networked HTTP-based APIs.
Also: REST API · Representational State Transfer
Definition
REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style for designing networked applications, particularly web APIs. RESTful APIs use standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) and operate on resources identified by URLs. Key REST constraints include statelessness (each request contains all information needed), uniform interface, client-server separation, and cacheability. REST APIs typically return data in JSON or XML format. REST has become the dominant API design style due to its simplicity and scalability.
Example
“A REST API endpoint GET /api/users/123 returns the JSON profile of user 123, while DELETE /api/users/123 removes that user from the system.”
Synonyms
- RESTful API
- HTTP API
- web API
- stateless API
Antonyms / Opposites
- SOAP
- gRPC
- stateful API
Images
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Related Terms
- api
- graphql
- json
- http