REST API Standards

Overview

This skill provides expert guidance for designing, building, and maintaining RESTful APIs that follow industry standards and best practices. It covers resource design, HTTP semantics, error handling, pagination, versioning, security, and documentation.

When to Use This Skill

• Designing new API endpoints or services
• Reviewing existing API designs for standards compliance
• Implementing CRUD operations for resources
• Adding pagination, filtering, or sorting to endpoints
• Designing error responses and status codes
• Creating OpenAPI/Swagger documentation
• Implementing authentication and authorization patterns
• Versioning APIs for backward compatibility

Core Principles

1. Resource-Oriented Design

APIs expose resources (nouns), not actions (verbs). Resources are entities that can be identified, named, addressed, and handled.

✅ GET  /users/123
✅ POST /orders
✅ PUT  /products/456

❌ GET  /getUser?id=123
❌ POST /createOrder
❌ POST /updateProduct

2. Use HTTP Methods Correctly

*POST and PATCH become idempotent when using idempotency keys (see Idempotency section).

3. Use Proper HTTP Status Codes

Success (2xx)

Client Errors (4xx)

Server Errors (5xx)

URL Design

Resource Naming Conventions

# Use plural nouns for collections
GET /users
GET /orders
GET /products

# Use identifiers for specific resources
GET /users/{userId}
GET /orders/{orderId}

# Use nesting for relationships (max 2 levels)
GET /users/{userId}/orders
GET /orders/{orderId}/items

# Avoid deep nesting - use query parameters instead
❌ GET /users/{userId}/orders/{orderId}/items/{itemId}/reviews
✅ GET /reviews?orderId={orderId}&itemId={itemId}

Naming Rules

• Use lowercase letters
• Use hyphens for multi-word resources:

  /user-profiles

• Never use verbs in URLs
• Never use file extensions:

  /users.json

• Use consistent plural/singular (prefer plural for collections)

Query Parameters

# Filtering
GET /users?status=active&role=admin

# Sorting (prefix with - for descending)
GET /users?sort=created_at
GET /users?sort=-updated_at,name

# Pagination
GET /users?page=2&per_page=25
GET /users?cursor=eyJpZCI6MTIzfQ&limit=25

# Field selection (sparse fieldsets)
GET /users?fields=id,name,email

# Search
GET /users?q=john
GET /products?search=laptop

Request & Response Design

Request Bodies

// POST /users - Create
{
  "name": "John Doe",
  "email": "john@example.com",
  "role": "admin"
}

// PUT /users/123 - Full replacement
{
  "id": "123",
  "name": "John Doe",
  "email": "john.doe@example.com",
  "role": "admin",
  "status": "active"
}

// PATCH /users/123 - Partial update
{
  "email": "newemail@example.com"
}

Response Structure

Single Resource

{
  "data": {
    "id": "123",
    "type": "user",
    "attributes": {
      "name": "John Doe",
      "email": "john@example.com",
      "created_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z"
    },
    "links": {
      "self": "/users/123",
      "orders": "/users/123/orders"
    }
  }
}

Collection Response

{
  "data": [
    { "id": "1", "type": "user", "attributes": { ... } },
    { "id": "2", "type": "user", "attributes": { ... } }
  ],
  "meta": {
    "total_count": 150,
    "page": 1,
    "per_page": 25,
    "total_pages": 6
  },
  "links": {
    "self": "/users?page=1",
    "first": "/users?page=1",
    "prev": null,
    "next": "/users?page=2",
    "last": "/users?page=6"
  }
}

Error Handling

Standard Error Response Format

{
  "error": {
    "code": "VALIDATION_ERROR",
    "message": "The request contains invalid parameters",
    "details": [
      {
        "field": "email",
        "code": "INVALID_FORMAT",
        "message": "Email must be a valid email address"
      },
      {
        "field": "age",
        "code": "OUT_OF_RANGE",
        "message": "Age must be between 18 and 120"
      }
    ],
    "request_id": "req_abc123xyz",
    "documentation_url": "https://api.example.com/docs/errors#VALIDATION_ERROR"
  }
}

Error Code Categories

# Authentication/Authorization
UNAUTHORIZED          - Missing or invalid credentials
FORBIDDEN             - Valid credentials but insufficient permissions
TOKEN_EXPIRED         - JWT or session has expired
INVALID_API_KEY       - API key is malformed or revoked

# Validation
VALIDATION_ERROR      - One or more fields failed validation
MISSING_REQUIRED_FIELD - Required field not provided
INVALID_FORMAT        - Field format is incorrect
OUT_OF_RANGE          - Value outside acceptable range

# Resource Errors
NOT_FOUND             - Resource doesn't exist
ALREADY_EXISTS        - Unique constraint violation
CONFLICT              - State conflict (optimistic locking)
GONE                  - Resource permanently deleted

# Pagination Errors
INVALID_CURSOR        - Cursor is malformed or expired
CURSOR_EXPIRED        - Cursor has expired, restart from beginning

# Idempotency Errors
IDEMPOTENCY_KEY_REQUIRED - POST/PATCH request missing Idempotency-Key header
IDEMPOTENCY_CONFLICT     - Same key used with different request body
IDEMPOTENCY_IN_PROGRESS  - Request with this key is still processing

# Rate Limiting
RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED   - Too many requests

# Server Errors
INTERNAL_ERROR        - Unexpected server error
SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE   - Dependent service is down

Pagination

Cursor-Based Pagination (Required)

All list endpoints MUST use cursor-based pagination. This is the only approved pagination pattern.

Why cursor-based pagination:

• Performance: O(1) vs O(n) for offset-based on large datasets
• Consistency: No skipped/duplicate records when data changes
• Scalability: Works efficiently with millions of records
• Real-time friendly: Handles insertions/deletions gracefully

GET /users?cursor=eyJpZCI6MTAwfQ&limit=25

Response:
{
  "data": [
    { "id": "101", "type": "user", "attributes": { ... } },
    { "id": "102", "type": "user", "attributes": { ... } },
    ...
  ],
  "meta": {
    "has_more": true,
    "next_cursor": "eyJpZCI6MTI1fQ",
    "limit": 25
  },
  "links": {
    "self": "/users?cursor=eyJpZCI6MTAwfQ&limit=25",
    "next": "/users?cursor=eyJpZCI6MTI1fQ&limit=25"
  }
}

Cursor Implementation

Cursor structure (base64-encoded JSON):

{
  "id": "last-record-id",
  "sort_field": "sort-value",
  "direction": "next"
}

Query parameters:

cursor

limit

First page request (no cursor):

GET /users?limit=25

Subsequent requests (with cursor):

GET /users?cursor=eyJpZCI6IjEyNSIsImRpcmVjdGlvbiI6Im5leHQifQ&limit=25

Response Structure

{
  "data": [...],
  "meta": {
    "has_more": true,
    "next_cursor": "eyJpZCI6MTI1fQ",
    "prev_cursor": "eyJpZCI6MTAxfQ",
    "limit": 25
  },
  "links": {
    "self": "/users?cursor=eyJpZCI6MTAwfQ&limit=25",
    "next": "/users?cursor=eyJpZCI6MTI1fQ&limit=25",
    "prev": "/users?cursor=eyJpZCI6MTAxLCJkaXJlY3Rpb24iOiJwcmV2In0&limit=25"
  }
}

Last Page Response

When no more records exist:

{
  "data": [...],
  "meta": {
    "has_more": false,
    "next_cursor": null,
    "limit": 25
  },
  "links": {
    "self": "/users?cursor=eyJpZCI6MjQwfQ&limit=25",
    "next": null
  }
}

Cursor Rules

1. Opaque cursors: Clients must treat cursors as opaque strings—never parse or construct them
2. Stateless: Cursors encode position, not server state
3. Short-lived: Cursors may expire; clients should handle

   400 INVALID_CURSOR

   gracefully
4. Stable sorting: Always include a unique field (e.g.,

   id

   ) as tie-breaker in sort

Sorting with Cursors

GET /users?sort=-created_at,id&limit=25
GET /users?cursor=eyJjcmVhdGVkX2F0IjoiMjAyNS0wMS0xNSIsImlkIjoiMTI1In0&sort=-created_at,id&limit=25

The cursor must encode all sort field values to maintain position.

❌ Offset-Based Pagination is NOT Allowed

Do not use offset/page-based pagination:

❌ GET /users?page=3&per_page=25
❌ GET /users?offset=50&limit=25

Problems with offset pagination:

• Performance degrades with large offsets (database must scan all skipped rows)
• Inconsistent results when data is inserted/deleted between requests
• "Page drift" causes duplicate or missing records
• Does not scale for large datasets

Versioning

URL Path Versioning (Recommended)

GET /v1/users
GET /v2/users

Pros: Explicit, easy to route, cacheable Cons: Not truly RESTful (URL should identify resource)

Header Versioning

GET /users
Accept: application/vnd.api+json; version=2

Pros: Clean URLs, truly RESTful Cons: Harder to test, less visible

Query Parameter Versioning

GET /users?version=2

Pros: Easy to implement Cons: Optional parameter, caching issues

Versioning Strategy

1. Start with

   /v1/

   from day one
2. Maintain backward compatibility within major versions
3. Deprecate old versions with

   Sunset

   header
4. Provide migration guides for breaking changes

Sunset: Sat, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT
Deprecation: true
Link: <https://api.example.com/docs/migration/v1-to-v2>; rel="deprecation"

HATEOAS (Hypermedia)

Include links to related resources and available actions:

{
  "data": {
    "id": "order-123",
    "type": "order",
    "attributes": {
      "status": "pending",
      "total": 99.99
    },
    "links": {
      "self": "/orders/order-123",
      "customer": "/customers/cust-456",
      "items": "/orders/order-123/items",
      "payment": "/orders/order-123/payment"
    },
    "actions": {
      "cancel": {
        "href": "/orders/order-123/cancel",
        "method": "POST",
        "title": "Cancel this order"
      },
      "pay": {
        "href": "/orders/order-123/payment",
        "method": "POST",
        "title": "Submit payment"
      }
    }
  }
}

Authentication & Security

Idempotency

Idempotency ensures that multiple identical requests produce the same result as a single request. This is critical for handling network failures, retries, and duplicate submissions.

HTTP Method Idempotency

Idempotency Keys (Required for POST/PATCH)

All

POST

PATCH

Request:

POST /orders
Idempotency-Key: ord_req_abc123xyz789
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "product_id": "prod_123",
  "quantity": 2
}

Response (first request):

HTTP/1.1 201 Created
Idempotency-Key: ord_req_abc123xyz789
X-Idempotent-Replayed: false

{
  "data": {
    "id": "order_456",
    "status": "created"
  }
}

Response (duplicate request with same key):

HTTP/1.1 201 Created
Idempotency-Key: ord_req_abc123xyz789
X-Idempotent-Replayed: true

{
  "data": {
    "id": "order_456",
    "status": "created"
  }
}

Idempotency Key Rules

1. Client-generated: Clients generate unique keys (UUID v4 recommended)
2. Scoped: Keys are scoped to endpoint + API key/user
3. Immutable request: Same key with different body =

   422 IDEMPOTENCY_CONFLICT

4. Expiration: Keys expire after 24 hours (configurable)
5. Storage: Store key → response mapping in Redis or database

Idempotency Key Format

# Recommended formats
Idempotency-Key: 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000  # UUID v4
Idempotency-Key: req_abc123xyz789                       # Prefixed random
Idempotency-Key: order_user123_1705312200              # Semantic (user + timestamp)

Implementation Pattern

1. Receive request with Idempotency-Key header
2. Check if key exists in idempotency store
   - If exists AND request body matches → return stored response
   - If exists AND request body differs → return 422 IDEMPOTENCY_CONFLICT
   - If not exists → continue processing
3. Process request
4. Store key → response mapping with TTL (24h)
5. Return response with X-Idempotent-Replayed: false

Idempotency Error Responses

Missing idempotency key (when required):

{
  "error": {
    "code": "IDEMPOTENCY_KEY_REQUIRED",
    "message": "POST requests require an Idempotency-Key header",
    "documentation_url": "https://api.example.com/docs/idempotency"
  }
}

Conflicting request body:

{
  "error": {
    "code": "IDEMPOTENCY_CONFLICT",
    "message": "Idempotency key has already been used with a different request body",
    "idempotency_key": "ord_req_abc123xyz789"
  }
}

Concurrent request in progress:

{
  "error": {
    "code": "IDEMPOTENCY_IN_PROGRESS",
    "message": "A request with this idempotency key is currently being processed",
    "retry_after": 2
  }
}

Idempotency for Webhooks

When sending webhooks, include idempotency information so receivers can deduplicate:

{
  "id": "evt_abc123",
  "idempotency_key": "evt_abc123",
  "type": "order.created",
  "created_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "data": { ... }
}

Authentication Methods

Security Headers

# Always include
Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains
X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
X-Frame-Options: DENY
Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'none'

# Idempotency (for POST/PATCH responses)
Idempotency-Key: ord_req_abc123xyz789
X-Idempotent-Replayed: true|false

# Rate limiting info
X-RateLimit-Limit: 1000
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 998
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1640000000
Retry-After: 60

Request ID Tracing

Always generate and return a request ID:

Request:
X-Request-ID: client-generated-id (optional)

Response:
X-Request-ID: req_abc123xyz789

OpenAPI Documentation

Every API must have OpenAPI 3.1 documentation:

openapi: 3.1.0
info:
  title: User Service API
  version: 1.0.0
  description: API for managing users
  
servers:
  - url: https://api.example.com/v1
    description: Production
  - url: https://api.staging.example.com/v1
    description: Staging

paths:
  /users:
    get:
      summary: List users
      operationId: listUsers
      tags: [Users]
      parameters:
        - name: page
          in: query
          schema:
            type: integer
            default: 1
        - name: per_page
          in: query
          schema:
            type: integer
            default: 25
            maximum: 100
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Successful response
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/UserList'
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
          
    post:
      summary: Create user
      operationId: createUser
      tags: [Users]
      requestBody:
        required: true
        content:
          application/json:
            schema:
              $ref: '#/components/schemas/CreateUserRequest'
      responses:
        '201':
          description: User created
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/User'
        '422':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/ValidationError'

components:
  schemas:
    User:
      type: object
      required: [id, email, name]
      properties:
        id:
          type: string
          format: uuid
        email:
          type: string
          format: email
        name:
          type: string
        created_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
          
  responses:
    Unauthorized:
      description: Authentication required
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
            
  securitySchemes:
    bearerAuth:
      type: http
      scheme: bearer
      bearerFormat: JWT

security:
  - bearerAuth: []

Implementation Checklist

Before Development

• Define resource models and relationships
• Design URL structure following naming conventions
• Document endpoints in OpenAPI format
• Define error codes and response formats
• Plan versioning strategy
• Plan idempotency key storage (Redis/database)
• Determine authentication method

During Development

• Use correct HTTP methods and status codes
• Implement consistent error handling
• Add cursor-based pagination for all list endpoints
• Implement idempotency keys for POST/PATCH endpoints
• Include HATEOAS links where appropriate
• Add request ID tracing
• Implement rate limiting
• Add security headers

Before Release

• OpenAPI spec is complete and accurate
• All endpoints have integration tests
• Error responses are consistent
• Idempotency keys tested for POST/PATCH endpoints
• Rate limits are documented
• Authentication is working
• CORS is configured correctly
• Deprecation strategy is defined

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

❌ Using verbs in URLs
   POST /createUser → POST /users

❌ Using wrong HTTP methods
   POST /users/123/delete → DELETE /users/123

❌ Inconsistent naming
   /users, /order, /ProductCategories → /users, /orders, /product-categories

❌ Returning 200 for errors
   { "status": 200, "error": "Not found" } → HTTP 404 with error body

❌ Exposing internal IDs
   /users/1 → /users/usr_abc123

❌ Deeply nested URLs
   /users/1/orders/2/items/3/reviews/4 → /reviews/4?item_id=3

❌ Breaking changes without versioning
   Removing fields → Deprecate, then remove in next major version

❌ Inconsistent date formats
   "2025-01-15", "01/15/2025", 1705312200 → Always use ISO 8601

❌ Using offset-based pagination
   GET /users?page=3&per_page=25 → GET /users?cursor=xyz&limit=25
   Offset pagination causes performance issues and data inconsistency

❌ Exposing total_count with cursor pagination
   total_count requires full table scan → Use has_more boolean instead

❌ POST/PATCH without idempotency support
   Creates duplicate resources on retry → Require Idempotency-Key header

❌ Server-generated idempotency keys
   Client can't safely retry → Client must generate and send the key

Related Resources

Tresic Documentation

• Intelligence Cloud API Specification
• OpenAPI 3.1 Specification
• Coding Standards
• Definition of Done

External References

• Microsoft REST API Guidelines
• Google API Design Guide
• JSON:API Specification
• OpenAPI Specification