Documenting your REST API

API.md

Title

<Additional information about your API call. Try to use verbs that match both request type (fetching vs modifying) and plurality (one vs multiple).>

URL

<The URL Structure (path only, no root url)>

Method:

<The request type>

GET | POST | DELETE | PUT

URL Params

<If URL params exist, specify them in accordance with name mentioned in URL section. Separate into optional and required. Document data constraints.>

Required:

id=[integer]

Optional:

photo_id=[alphanumeric]

Data Params

<If making a post request, what should the body payload look like? URL Params rules apply here too.>

Success Response:

<What should the status code be on success and is there any returned data? This is useful when people need to to know what their callbacks should expect!>

Code: 200

Content: { id : 12 }

Error Response:

<Most endpoints will have many ways they can fail. From unauthorized access, to wrongful parameters etc. All of those should be liste d here. It might seem repetitive, but it helps prevent assumptions from being made where they should be.>

Code: 401 UNAUTHORIZED

Content: { error : "Log in" }

OR

Code: 422 UNPROCESSABLE ENTRY

Content: { error : "Email Invalid" }

Sample Call:

<Just a sample call to your endpoint in a runnable format ($.ajax call or a curl request) - this makes life easier and more predictable.>

Notes:

<This is where all uncertainties, commentary, discussion etc. can go. I recommend timestamping and identifying oneself when leaving comments here.>

EXAMPLE.md

Show User

Returns json data about a single user.

• URL

  /users/:id

• Method:

  GET

• URL Params

  Required:

  id=[integer]

• Data Params

  None

• Success Response:

  • Code: 200
    Content: { id : 12, name : "Michael Bloom" }

• Error Response:

  • Code: 404 NOT FOUND
    Content: { error : "User doesn't exist" }

  OR

  • Code: 401 UNAUTHORIZED
    Content: { error : "You are unauthorized to make this request." }

• Sample Call:

    $.ajax({
      url: "/users/1",
      dataType: "json",
      type : "GET",
      success : function(r) {
        console.log(r);
      }
    });