Well-designed APIs are the backbone of modern applications. Whether you're building REST or GraphQL APIs, following best practices ensures scalability and developer happiness.
RESTful API Design Principles
Resource Naming
Use nouns, not verbs. Plural for collections: /users, /products. Keep URLs consistent and predictable.
HTTP Methods
- GET: Retrieve resources
- POST: Create new resources
- PUT/PATCH: Update resources
- DELETE: Remove resources
Status Codes
Use appropriate HTTP status codes: 200 (OK), 201 (Created), 400 (Bad Request), 401 (Unauthorized), 404 (Not Found), 500 (Server Error).
GraphQL Advantages
GraphQL solves over-fetching and under-fetching problems. Clients request exactly what they need, reducing bandwidth and improving performance.
When to Use GraphQL:
- Complex data relationships
- Multiple client types (web, mobile, IoT)
- Need for real-time subscriptions
- Evolving schema requirements
Universal Best Practices
Versioning
Use URL versioning (/api/v1/) or header-based versioning. Plan for deprecation from day one.
Authentication & Authorization
Implement OAuth 2.0 or JWT-based authentication. Always validate permissions at the API layer.
Rate Limiting
Protect your API from abuse with rate limiting. Use headers to communicate limits to clients.
Documentation
Provide comprehensive documentation with examples. Tools like Swagger/OpenAPI for REST, GraphQL Playground for GraphQL.
Error Handling
Return consistent error formats with clear messages and error codes. Help developers debug quickly.
Performance Optimization
- Implement pagination for large datasets
- Use caching strategically (ETags, Cache-Control)
- Enable compression (gzip, brotli)
- Consider GraphQL DataLoader for N+1 query problems
Actinode designs and implements production-ready APIs that scale. From REST to GraphQL, we follow industry best practices for optimal performance and developer experience.
