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REST API Best Practices in Java

Building APIs that work in demo is easy; building APIs that scale in production requires following established best practices for design, security, and operability.

Design Best Practices

  • Version APIs in URL: /api/v1/users.
  • Use pagination: ?page=0&size=20&sort=createdAt,desc.
  • Return consistent error format: { "error": "code", "message": "..." }.
  • Use proper HTTP status codes — don't return 200 for errors.
  • Implement HATEOAS links for discoverable APIs when appropriate.

Security Best Practices

  • Always use HTTPS in production.
  • Implement authentication (JWT, OAuth 2.0) and authorization.
  • Validate and sanitize all input.
  • Rate limit public endpoints to prevent abuse.
  • Never expose stack traces in error responses.
  • Use CORS configuration to restrict allowed origins.

Operational Best Practices

  • Add health check endpoint (/actuator/health).
  • Log request ID for distributed tracing.
  • Monitor latency, error rates, and throughput.
  • Document breaking changes in changelog.
  • Use CI/CD to run API tests on every commit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I version APIs without breaking clients?▼

Support multiple versions simultaneously (/api/v1 and /api/v2). Deprecate old versions with sunset headers. Give clients 6-12 months to migrate.

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