Key terms and common mistakes
The words you will hear in API Design work and the mistakes that most often cost interns approvals.
Key terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| API | Contract for programs to communicate |
| GET | Read data |
| 201 | Resource created |
| Endpoint | URL + method that does something |
| Content-Type | Format of the body sent |
| API key | Secret identifying an application |
| Offset pagination | Skip N rows then take M |
| OpenAPI | Standard API description format |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Inconsistent naming and response shapes between endpoints.
- Returning 200 for errors.
- Breaking changes with no versioning.
- Docs that do not match the real API.
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