API Design Best Practices: REST vs GraphQL | agency.texttoreels.in Blog

Well-designed APIs are the backbone of modern applications. Whether you choose REST or GraphQL, following best practices ensures your API is maintainable, scalable, and developer-friendly.

REST API Best Practices

1. Use Proper HTTP Methods - GET: Retrieve data - POST: Create new resources - PUT/PATCH: Update existing resources - DELETE: Remove resources

2. Implement Consistent Naming Use nouns for resources, not verbs: ``` ✅ GET /api/users/123 ❌ GET /api/getUser/123 ```

3. Version Your API Always version your API to prevent breaking changes: ``` /api/v1/users /api/v2/users ```

4. Handle Errors Properly Return appropriate status codes and meaningful error messages: ```json { "error": { "code": "VALIDATION_ERROR", "message": "Email is required", "field": "email" } } ```

5. Implement Pagination For list endpoints, always paginate: ``` GET /api/users?page=1&limit=20 ```

6. Use HATEOAS Include links to related resources: ```json { "id": 123, "name": "John Doe", "_links": { "self": "/api/users/123", "posts": "/api/users/123/posts" } } ```

GraphQL Best Practices

1. Design Schema Thoughtfully Your schema is your contract with clients: ```graphql type User { id: ID! name: String! email: String! posts: [Post!]! } ```

2. Implement DataLoader Avoid N+1 queries by batching and caching: ```javascript const userLoader = new DataLoader(keys => batchGetUsers(keys) ); ```

3. Handle Errors Gracefully Use proper error handling: ```javascript { "errors": [{ "message": "User not found", "path": ["user"], "extensions": { "code": "NOT_FOUND" } }] } ```

4. Implement Depth Limiting Prevent malicious deep queries: ```javascript validationRules: [ depthLimit(5) ] ```

5. Use Fragments Reuse query parts: ```graphql fragment UserInfo on User { id name email } ```

REST vs GraphQL: When to Use Which?

Choose REST When: - Simple, predictable data requirements - Heavy caching needs - File uploads/downloads - Team is more familiar with REST

Choose GraphQL When: - Frontend needs vary significantly - Mobile apps need minimal data transfer - You want strong typing - Rapid frontend iteration

Security Considerations

1. **Authentication**: Use JWT or OAuth 2.0 2. **Rate Limiting**: Prevent abuse 3. **Input Validation**: Never trust client input 4. **CORS**: Configure properly 5. **HTTPS**: Always use in production

Documentation

Good documentation is crucial: - **REST**: Use OpenAPI/Swagger - **GraphQL**: Schema is self-documenting, but add descriptions

Monitoring and Analytics

Track: - Response times - Error rates - Most-used endpoints - Slow queries

Conclusion

Whether you choose REST or GraphQL, following best practices ensures your API is robust, secure, and developer-friendly. Focus on consistency, proper error handling, and comprehensive documentation. Remember, the best API is one that makes developers happy to use it.