Axum REST API best practices

Use when building or reviewing Axum HTTP servers, handlers, extractors, and shared app state.

Structure

• Organize routes by feature, not in one large file.
• Keep handlers thin; move business logic into services or domain modules.

Request handling

• Use typed extractors for path, query, State, and JSON bodies.
• Validate request payloads before processing.

Responses and errors

• Return correct HTTP status codes and structured JSON errors.
• Use Result in handlers for clear error propagation.
• Maintain a consistent error type that maps cleanly to API responses.