API Design Guidelines

REST Conventions

• Use plural nouns for resources: /users, /posts, /comments
• Use HTTP methods correctly: GET (read), POST (create), PUT (replace), PATCH (update), DELETE (remove)
• Nest sub-resources: /users/:id/posts
• Use query params for filtering: /posts?status=published&author=123
• Return proper status codes: 200, 201, 204, 400, 401, 403, 404, 409, 422, 500

Response Shape

{
  "data": {},
  "error": null,
  "meta": { "page": 1, "total": 42 }
}