Introduction: Why RESTful API Design Matters
REST isn't a checklist — it's a design philosophy. When done well, it makes your API intuitive, scalable, and easy for developers to consume. When done poorly, it becomes a source of frustration.
This post distills 6 practical best practices for designing APIs that feel truly RESTful, based on modern product engineering experience.
Keep Resources and URIs Clean
Your URIs should reflect real-world resources, not implementation details.
Do:
- Use nouns not verbs:
/users,/orders - Keep them lowercase and hyphenated
- Nest for relationships:
/users/{id}/orders
Don't:
- Encode operations in the path:
/getUserData - Include file extensions unless necessary
Clear URIs make your API self-explanatory.
Use Proper HTTP Methods Consistently
A true RESTful API maps CRUD actions to HTTP verbs:
- GET – retrieve resources
- POST – create resources
- PUT – update or replace resources
- PATCH – partially update resources
- DELETE – remove resources
Mixing verbs and paths leads to ambiguity. Let the HTTP method tell the story.
Leverage HTTP Status Codes Effectively
Status codes are for both humans and machines. Go beyond 200 OK.
Common examples:
- 201 Created – after a successful POST
- 204 No Content – when a DELETE succeeds
- 400 Bad Request – validation or format error
- 401 Unauthorized – authentication missing or invalid
- 404 Not Found – resource doesn’t exist
- 409 Conflict – state conflict, often in updates
Avoid overloading 200 for errors — let clients respond appropriately.
Design Predictable and Flexible Query Parameters
Query parameters shape responses without breaking core endpoints.
Best practices:
- Use common names like limit, offset, sort
- Support filtering:
/orders?status=shipped - Enable field selection:
/users?fields=id,name,email - Keep filters predictable and documented
Predictable parameters help teams integrate faster.
Include Meaningful Error Responses
Don't just throw status codes — give context.
Example error body:
{"error":"Invalid email format","code":"INVALID_EMAIL","details":{"field":"email"}}
Keys to better error payloads:
- Clear message for developers
- Machine-readable codes for programmatic handling
- Optional details for debugging
Version Your API Without Breaking Clients
Change is inevitable; breakage isn't.
Popular approaches:
- URI versioning:
/v1/users - Header versioning:
Accept: application/vnd.company.v2+json
Guidelines:
- Avoid frequent major version bumps
- Deprecate old versions gracefully
Versioning maintains stability for existing consumers, while allowing evolution.
Conclusion: Making REST Truly Work
True RESTful design blends consistency, clarity, and empathy for the developer experience.
Start with clean URIs, honest HTTP methods, informative status codes, and structured errors. Then, layer on predictable query parameters and thoughtful versioning.
If you're building APIs — whether public like JuheAPI (https://www.juheapi.com/) or internal services — these small decisions compound into APIs your users will love integrating with.
Test your endpoints, document as you go, and iterate with feedback.
For experimenting, you can point your sample calls to: https://hub.juheapi.com/