REST API Design Principles
- Use plural nouns for resources (GET /users not /user)
- Consistent naming conventions (kebab-case or snake_case)
- Proper HTTP status codes (200, 201, 400, 401, 404, 500)
- Filtering, sorting, and pagination support
Authentication Methods
- Bearer Token (JWT) for stateless auth
- API Keys for service-to-service
- OAuth 2.0 for third-party access
- MFA for sensitive operations
Rate Limiting & Throttling
Implement: 1000 requests/hour per user, 50/minute burst, with exponential backoff.
Documentation Standards
Use OpenAPI 3.1 specification with Swagger UI. Include examples, error codes, and authentication details.
Security Best Practices
- HTTPS everywhere
- Input validation and sanitization
- SQL injection prevention
- CORS configuration
- API versioning (/v1/, /v2/)
Performance Optimization
- Response caching (Redis/CDN)
- Database query optimization
- Pagination for large datasets
- Asynchronous processing for heavy tasks