API (Application Programming Interface) | A set of rules that allows software applications to communicate with each other. |
API Documentation | Instructions and details on how to use an API. |
API Key | A token passed in an API call to authenticate the client. |
Basic Auth | Authentication method using a username and password encoded in base64. |
Bearer Token | An access token used in the Authorization header. |
DELETE | HTTP method to delete a resource. |
Endpoint | A specific URL where an API can access the resources it needs. |
Form Data | A way to send key-value pairs, often used with file uploads. |
GET | HTTP method to retrieve data from a server. |
GraphQL | A query language for APIs that enables clients to request specific data. |
gRPC | A high-performance, open-source RPC framework by Google. |
HTTP | Hypertext Transfer Protocol; the foundation of API communication. |
HTTPS | Secure version of HTTP using encryption. |
Header | Key-value pairs in HTTP requests and responses that provide metadata. |
Idempotency | The property of an operation to have the same result no matter how many times it is applied. |
JSON | JavaScript Object Notation; a lightweight data format used in API communication. |
JWT (JSON Web Token) | A compact and self-contained method for securely transmitting information. |
Multipart | A type of form data that allows multiple files or fields to be sent in a single request. |
OAuth | An open-standard protocol for authorization. |
OpenAPI | A specification for describing RESTful APIs. |
PATCH | HTTP method to make partial updates to a resource. |
POST | HTTP method to send data to a server. |
PUT | HTTP method to update an existing resource. |
Pagination | Splitting API responses into smaller parts or pages. |
Payload | The actual data sent in a request or returned in a response. |
REST | Representational State Transfer; an architecture for stateless communication. |
RESTful API | An API that adheres to the REST architecture. |
Rate Limiting | Restricting the number of API calls a client can make. |
Request | An action initiated by a client to an API server. |
Resource | An object or representation of something accessible via an API. |
Response | The data sent back by the server after processing a request. |
Route | The path portion of a URL used to access an API resource, excluding the domain and protocol. |
SDK (Software Development Kit) | A collection of tools for building applications with an API. |
Status Code | A number indicating the result of an HTTP request (e.g., 200, 404, 500). |
Swagger | A set of tools for developing and documenting OpenAPI specifications. |
Throttling | Intentionally slowing down the response rate from the API. |
Versioning | Maintaining multiple iterations of an API (e.g., v1, v2). |
Webhooks | Callbacks sent from the server to the client when an event occurs. |
XML | Extensible Markup Language; another data format used in some APIs. |