API Design Best Practices: Building APIs That Developers Love

A well-designed API is like a well-designed product — it's intuitive, reliable, and makes the developer's life easier. Here's how to build APIs that other developers will love using.

Consistent Resource Naming

Use plural nouns for collections (/users), singular for single resources (/users/1). Keep URLs clean and predictable. Avoid verbs in URLs — the HTTP method already provides the action.

Proper Error Responses

Every API error should return a consistent structure with a machine-readable code, human-readable message, and helpful context. Include validation errors inline with the fields that caused them.

Pagination and Filtering

Always paginate collection endpoints. Use cursor-based pagination for large datasets and include metadata about total counts, next/previous links, and current page.

Rate Limiting

Protect your API with sensible rate limits. Return X-RateLimit-Remaining headers so consumers can adjust their behavior proactively.