REST API Best Tips 👉 Find 22 tips compiled for Devs

Learn REST API Best Tips: optimize HTTP status codes, idempotence, pagination, authentication, caching. Find 22 tips compiled for developers to enhance performance and reliability.

Jan 13, 2025

Designing a great API isn’t just about functionality, it’s about making life easier for your users, your team and yourself. As someone who’s spent years building APIs for large-scale systems, I’ve learned a few things the hard way. Let me walk you through some best practices that can save you from unnecessary headaches.

1. HTTP Status Codes.

Communicate the right status for every request.

Informational (1xx): The server is processing the request.
Success (2xx): The request was successful.
Redirection (3xx): Further action is needed.
Client Errors (4xx): The client made an error.
Server Errors (5xx): The server encountered an error.

2. Idempotence

Idempotence ensures that multiple identical requests produce the same effect, no matter how many times they are executed. This is critical for reliability in distributed systems. Different HTTP methods behave differently in this regard:

GET, PUT, DELETE: Idempotent (safe to repeat).
POST: Not idempotent (creates a new resource with each execution).
PATCH: Can be idempotent, but depends on the implementation.

Designing idempotent endpoints reduces errors and ensures predictable behavior, especially during retries or failures.

3. Pagination and Filtering

Imagine an endpoint that returns all users. On paper, it sounds great, but what happens when you have millions of users? It’ll slow your API, frustrate users, and potentially crash your servers. Use pagination to break data into smaller, manageable chunks and filtering to let users retrieve only what they need. Sorting organizes the results in a meaningful order.

Pagination:

GET /users?page=2&limit=50

This ensures only 50 users are returned per page, making the process efficient and user-friendly.

Filtering:

GET /users?name=sketech

Filters results to only include users matching the criteria.

4. Authentication

Secure your endpoints:

OAuth2: Token-based auth.
API Keys: Validate requests with a key.
JWT Tokens: Stateless authentication.

API keys are a simple yet effective way to secure your API. Pass them securely via headers or query parameters, and validate them on the server side. Just remember—keys can be leaked, so combine them with other security measures when possible.

GET /data
Authorization: Bearer {API_KEY}

5. Version the API

Have you ever released a big API update, only to have clients complain that their integrations broke? Trust me, I’ve been there. Versioning saves you from this mess. By assigning versions to your API, you can roll out new features without breaking existing implementations. Clients can migrate on their own timeline—a win-win.

GET /v1/users
GET /v2/users

Keep your versions clear and separate to avoid confusion. In the case of REST APIs, for those who prefer a more purist approach, you could consider following HATEOAS instead of versioning (I’ll explain this in detail in next week’s newsletter).

6. Semantic Path

A semantic path focuses on creating API endpoints that are intuitive, descriptive, and self-explanatory. This means designing URLs that clearly represent the resources or entities being manipulated. Avoid using verbs or actions in paths, as the HTTP methods already indicate the operation.

Good Semantic Path:

GET /products/{id}
POST /orders

Poor Semantic Path:

GET /getProducts
POST /processOrder

Semantic paths make APIs easier to navigate, more predictable for developers, and aligned with RESTful principles. This small detail can significantly improve the developer experience.

7. HTTP Methods

Using HTTP methods correctly is a cornerstone of RESTful APIs. Each method should correspond to a specific action, ensuring clarity and consistency:

GET: Retrieve data from a resource. Should not modify the resource.

GET /users/{id}

POST: Create a new resource.

POST /users
{
  "name": "Nina Duran",
  "email": "nina@sketechworld.com"
}

PUT: Replace an existing resource entirely.

PUT /users/{id}
{
  "name": "Nina Duran",
  "email": "nina@sketechworld.com"
}

PATCH: Modify part of a resource.

PATCH /users/{id}
{
  "email": "nina@sketechworld.com"
}

DELETE: Remove a resource.

DELETE /users/{id}

Correctly aligning these methods with their intended purposes makes your API intuitive and predictable for users.

8. Domain Model Driven (DDD)

Designing endpoints that reflect real-world entities makes APIs intuitive and easy to use. This practice, known as Domain Model Driven design, is especially common in REST APIs but can also apply to GraphQL or gRPC when structuring data models.

REST Example:

GET /products/{id}
GET /products/{id}/reviews

GraphQL Example:

query {
  product(id: 1) {
    name
    reviews {
      comment
    }
  }
}

Using DDD improves clarity and aligns your API with the underlying domain logic.

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9. Use Plural Resource Nouns

Consistency matters. Always use plural nouns to represent collections, even if there’s just one resource right now. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later when your API scales.

GET /users
POST /orders

Avoid singular nouns like "/user" for collections. It’ll confuse your clients.

10. Clear API Documentation

Nobody likes guessing games. Clear, detailed documentation is your API’s best friend. If your clients have to experiment to figure out how your API works, you’ve already failed. Tools like Swagger or Postman make documentation interactive and user-friendly. Include examples for every endpoint, and always update docs after changes. Pro tip: if your team complains about writing docs, remind them it saves time answering questions later.

11. Focus on Security

An API without security is an open invitation for trouble. Use authentication methods like OAuth 2.0 or API keys to verify clients. Use SSL for security and encrypt everything to keep data safe. From the beginning of my career, I’ve always emphasized the importance of robust security practices. Ensuring encryption and safeguarding sensitive data have been non-negotiable priorities, helping me avoid pitfalls and build trust in every project.

12. Endpoint Responsibility

Keep your endpoints focused and specific. One endpoint, one job. I once saw an endpoint that handled user updates, notifications, and email sending all in one. It was a nightmare to debug. Break these actions into separate endpoints to keep things clean.

Instead of:

POST /users?action=updateAndNotify

Use:

PATCH /users/{id}
POST /notifications

13. Rate Limiting

APIs can be abused. Rate limiting ensures fair usage and protects your server from being overwhelmed. Include headers that tell clients how many requests they have left. Once, I saw an API go down because a single client hammered it with thousands of requests. Rate limiting would’ve saved the day.

X-RateLimit-Limit: 1000
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 500

14. A Health Check Endpoint

A health check endpoint is like a pulse check for your API. It tells you if the system is up and running. Keep it simple, a status and maybe uptime info. When I first implemented health checks, it saved hours of debugging by quickly identifying service outages.

GET /health

Returns:

{
  "status": "OK",
  "uptime": "24h"
}

15. Patch Instead of PUT

Use PATCH for partial updates and PUT for full replacements. PATCH is more efficient when you only need to update a field or two. I learned this while building a user management API. Updating a single field with PUT meant sending the entire resource payload, which was wasteful.

Partial Update:

PATCH /users/{id}
{
  "email": "nina@sketechworld.com"
}

Full Replace:

PUT /users/{id}
{
  "name": "Nina Duran",
  "email": "nina@sketechworld.com"
}

16. Cache Data to Improve Performance

Caching is your secret weapon for improving API performance. By storing frequently requested data, you reduce server load and speed up response times. Just be sure to manage cache expiration carefully, I’ve seen outdated caches cause serious data issues.

Cache-Control: max-age=3600

17. Return Standardized Messages

Consistency is key. Standardized response formats make it easier for clients to parse and handle data. Include status codes, messages, and metadata in a predictable structure.

{
  "status": "success",
  "data": { ... },
  "message": "Operation completed successfully"
}

When they do, make sure your users know what’s wrong and how to fix it. A vague “Something went wrong” is frustrating and useless. Use structured responses with clear messages and HTTP status codes. Handle Errors Gracefully

{
  "error": {
    "code": 400,
    "message": "Invalid input data"
  }
}

18. JSON , the Standard Format

One of the most popular formats for modern APIs. It’s lightweight, human-readable, and easy to parse. Always use JSON for responses to ensure compatibility and simplicity.

{
  "id": 1,
  "name": "API Best Tips"
}

Share Sketech

19. Customizable Response

Flexibility is a user’s best friend. Allow clients to customize their responses by specifying fields or levels of detail. This reduces unnecessary data transfer and improves usability.

GET /users?fields=id,name

This fetches only the "id" and "name" fields of the users, minimizing payload size.

20. Data Validation and Input Sanitization

Ensure that all incoming data is validated and sanitized to prevent security vulnerabilities, such as SQL injection or malformed requests. Define clear rules for acceptable data formats, enforce required fields, and reject invalid requests gracefully.

{
  "error": {
    "code": 422,
    "message": "Email is invalid."
  }
}

Validation and sanitization not only improve security but also enhance the reliability of your API.

21. Internationalization and Localization

Design your API to handle multiple languages and regional data formats. Support features like localized error messages, and allow clients to specify formats for dates and numbers.

GET /orders?locale=es-ES

Response:

{
  "order_date": "10/01/2025",
  "total": "1.234,56 €"
}

Internationalization ensures that your API is accessible and useful to a global audience.

22. Testing and Monitoring

Test your APIs thoroughly to ensure they behave as expected in all scenarios. Use automated tests for edge cases and regression testing. Implement real-time monitoring to track usage patterns, identify issues early, and ensure uptime.

Tools: Postman for testing, New Relic or Datadog for monitoring.

By following these practices, you’re not just building an API—you’re creating an experience. Take it from someone who’s learned through trial and error: small details make a big difference.

Did you catch the post that inspired this edition?
This week’s newsletter is based on my most liked LinkedIn post from last week, which received an amazing response—over 5,500 likes and counting. If you haven’t seen it yet, join the conversation:

Read the LinkedIn post here

If this gave you a moment of gratitude for good APIs, tap ❤ – it means a lot

And that’s a wrap for Sketech Edition #14! Another week, another idea transformed into a visual that makes sense and sticks.

To all the new readers: Welcome! This is where complexity gets simplified, and ideas become tools you’ll actually use.

Until next time, keep building.

Nina

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