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

TermMeaning
APIContract for programs to communicate
GETRead data
201Resource created
EndpointURL + method that does something
Content-TypeFormat of the body sent
API keySecret identifying an application
Offset paginationSkip N rows then take M
OpenAPIStandard 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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