# RESTful API Design Patterns Building well-designed APIs is crucial for modern applications. This guide covers proven patterns and best practices. ## Resource Naming Use nouns, not verbs: - `GET /api/v1/users` - List users - `POST /api/v1/users` - Create user - `GET /api/v1/users/:id` - Get user - `PUT /api/v1/users/:id` - Update user - `DELETE /api/v1/users/:id` - Delete user ## Pagination ```json { "data": [], "meta": { "page": 1, "limit": 20, "total": 150, "totalPages": 8 } } ``` ## Error Handling ```json { "success": false, "error": { "code": "VALIDATION_ERROR", "message": "Invalid input", "details": [ { "field": "email", "message": "Invalid email format" } ] } } ``` ## Authentication - Use JWT tokens for stateless authentication - Implement refresh token rotation - Rate limit API endpoints - Use HTTPS everywhere