HTTP Methods, CRUD, and Resource-Oriented API Modeling
Learn how RESTful APIs use HTTP methods and resource-oriented design to express operations clearly and consistently.
Inside this chapter
- Resources in REST
- Core HTTP Methods
- CRUD Mapping
- Good URL Design
- Practical Example
Series navigation
Study the chapters in order for the clearest path from REST basics to advanced API design, operations, and production readiness. Use the navigation at the bottom to move smoothly across the full tutorial series.
Resources in REST
A resource is the main conceptual object your API exposes, such as users, products, orders, tickets, posts, invoices, or devices. REST encourages designing URLs around nouns that represent resources rather than actions hidden in arbitrary endpoint names.
Core HTTP Methods
| Method | Typical Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| GET | Read data | GET /users/42 |
| POST | Create new data | POST /orders |
| PUT | Replace a resource | PUT /profiles/10 |
| PATCH | Partially update a resource | PATCH /products/7 |
| DELETE | Remove a resource | DELETE /sessions/3 |
CRUD Mapping
Create, Read, Update, and Delete operations map naturally to common HTTP methods. This alignment is one reason REST is easier to understand than completely custom endpoint designs.
Good URL Design
/users
/users/42
/users/42/orders
/orders/550/itemsGood REST URLs are consistent, resource-oriented, and readable. They avoid verbs where nouns communicate intent more clearly.
Practical Example
A learning platform may expose /courses, /students, and /enrollments. Clients can list courses, fetch a single student, create new enrollments, or update profile data through standard HTTP operations.