A web API is an API that a web server exposes over a protocol. It accepts requests from web clients and returns structured responses.
Docs:
An endpoint is a specific entry point of a web API, identified by a path (/status, /items, ...).
In a REST API, the HTTP method is also part of the identity — GET /status and POST /status are different endpoints.
A resource is an entity or piece of data that a web API exposes to clients.
Each resource is identified by a path in an endpoint — for example, /items refers to a collection of items and /items/{id} refers to a single item.
The base URL is the common prefix shared by all endpoints of a web API. It identifies the server and, optionally, a path prefix such as a version segment.
To form a complete request URL, append an endpoint path to the base URL:
| Part | Example |
|---|---|
| Base URL | https://api.example.com/v1 |
| Endpoint | /items |
| Full URL | https://api.example.com/v1/items |
An API key is a secret value used to authenticate a client making requests to a web API.
API key (without < and >).
Note
The goal is to make the key easy to remember.
The API key string should include only these characters:
- lowercase latin letters (
atoz) - minus (
-)
Examples:
my-secret-api-key
A web API is built on top of a protocol.
Common API types:
An HTTP API is a web API that uses the HTTP protocol to accept requests and return responses.
It has no rules about URL structure or how HTTP methods are used — any path and method combination is valid.