What Is an API Endpoint and How Do Endpoints Work?

beginner 9 min read August 26, 2025

apiweb development foundationsbeginnerapi endpoints

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TL;DR: An API endpoint is a specific URL where an API receives requests. It combines a base URL, path, and optional query parameters. Each endpoint serves a specific purpose like /search for searching or /top for trending content.

Every time you use an app – checking the news, posting on social media, or updating your profile – your device communicates with specific API endpoints. These endpoints are the defined entry points that tell the server exactly what you want to do and how to do it.

Understanding endpoints is crucial for anyone working with APIs. Whether you’re building your first application, integrating with existing services, or trying to understand how modern software communicates, endpoints are the fundamental building blocks that make it all possible.

What Exactly is an Endpoint?

An API endpoint is a specific point where your application can access an API’s functionality. It’s more than just a URL – it’s the combination of a URL, an HTTP method, and a specific purpose or function.

Endpoint vs URL: The Important Distinction

Many people confuse endpoints with URLs, but there’s a crucial difference:

• URL: https://api.bookverse.io/books
• API Endpoint: The complete URL path that points to a specific API resource (https://api.bookverse.io/books)
• Different Operations on Same Endpoint: GET to retrieve books, POST to create a book

The same endpoint (URL) can support multiple HTTP methods. The method tells the server what action you want to perform on that resource.

Think of the URL as a street address and the HTTP method as the type of interaction you want to have at that address. The address stays the same, but you could be visiting to pick up mail (GET), drop off a package (POST), or update your address information (PUT).

The URL vs Endpoint Distinction: A Practical Example

Let’s clarify the difference between URLs and endpoints with real-world examples:

Base URL vs Complete Endpoint

Consider an e-commerce API:

• Base URL: https://api.shop.com
• Endpoint Path: /products/electronics
• Complete Endpoint: https://api.shop.com/products/electronics

Same URL, Different Methods

The URL https://api.shop.com/products/123 can be used with different HTTP methods to perform entirely different operations:

• GET /products/123 – Retrieve product information
• PUT /products/123 – Update product details
• DELETE /products/123 – Remove the product

This demonstrates how an endpoint is more than just a URL – it’s the combination of the URL path and the HTTP method that defines the specific operation.

Query Parameters vs Path Parameters

Endpoints can include different parameter types:

• Path Parameter: /products/123 (123 is embedded in the path)
• Query Parameter: /products?category=electronics (filters the resource collection)

Understanding these distinctions helps you properly interpret API documentation and implement correct API calls in your applications.

Removing Things (DELETE)

Like canceling your reservation or removing items:

• DELETE /reservations/123 – Cancel your reservation
• DELETE /orders/456 – Cancel your order

You’re removing something from the system.

Diagram Description: Show a restaurant with four service windows, each labeled with an HTTP method. GET window shows a menu display, POST window shows a reservation desk, PUT window shows a modification counter, DELETE window shows a cancellation booth. Include arrows showing different customer actions at each window, all at the same restaurant address but serving different purposes.

Anatomy of an Endpoint

Let’s break down the components of a typical endpoint:

GET https://api.bookstore.com/v2/books/42/reviews

HTTP Method: GET
Base URL: https://api.bookstore.com
Endpoint Path: /v2/books/42/reviews

Endpoint Breakdown: /v2/books/42/reviews

• /v2 – API version
• /books – Resource type
• /42 – Specific book ID
• /reviews – Related resource

Key Components Explained:

HTTP Method: What action you want to perform (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)

Base URL: The API’s main address (https://api.newsservice.com)

Endpoint: The specific path to the resource (/v1/articles/123/comments)

Complete API Call: Method + Base URL + Endpoint

Common API Endpoint Patterns in Practice

Well-designed RESTful APIs follow consistent patterns that make them intuitive to use:

Resource Collection Operations

Working with groups of resources:

GET /products          # Retrieve all products
POST /products         # Create a new product
GET /customers         # Retrieve all customers
POST /customers        # Create a new customer

Individual Resource Operations

Working with specific items:

GET /products/789      # Get details for product #789
PUT /products/789      # Update product #789
DELETE /products/789   # Remove product #789

Relationship-Based Endpoints

Managing relationships between resources:

GET /orders/456/items          # Get items in order #456
POST /customers/123/addresses  # Add address to customer #123
GET /products/789/reviews      # Get reviews for product #789

Filtered Resource Retrieval

Getting specific subsets of data:

GET /products?category=electronics    # Only electronics products
GET /orders?status=pending           # Only pending orders
GET /customers?type=premium          # Only premium customers

Real-World API Examples

E-commerce API

A typical e-commerce API includes these endpoints:

GET /v1/products                      # Browse products
GET /v1/products?category=furniture  # Filter by category
GET /v1/products/12345               # View specific product
GET /v1/categories                   # List all categories
POST /v1/cart/items                  # Add item to cart
DELETE /v1/cart/items/67890          # Remove item from cart

Popular Third-Party APIs

GitHub API:

GET /repos/owner/repo               # Repository information
GET /repos/owner/repo/issues        # Repository issues
POST /repos/owner/repo/issues       # Create new issue

Twitter API:

GET /tweets/search                  # Search tweets
POST /tweets                        # Create new tweet
DELETE /tweets/123                  # Delete specific tweet

Endpoint Design Principles

Use Nouns for Resources

❌ Bad: /getArticles, /createUser, /deleteComment

✅ Good: /articles, /users, /comments

⚠️ Why it is good: Using nouns clearly indicates the resource being addressed, following REST principles.

Be Consistent with Plurals

❌ Bad: /article/123, /user/456

✅ Good: /articles/123, /users/456

⚠️ Why it is good: Using plurals consistently makes it clear that you’re addressing a collection, with IDs specifying individual resources.

Use Hierarchical Structure

❌ Bad: /getCommentsForArticle?articleId=123

✅ Good: /articles/123/comments

⚠️ Why it is good: Nested resources clearly express relationships between resources in an intuitive way.

Keep URLs Simple and Readable

❌ Bad: /articles?cat=tech&type=1&format=json

✅ Good: /articles?category=technology

⚠️ Why it is good: This format is clean, intuitive, and follows standard query parameter conventions.

Include API Versioning

❌ Bad: No versioning strategy - makes it difficult to introduce breaking changes without disrupting existing integrations.

✅ Good: /v1/articles, /v2/articles

⚠️ Why it is good: Version numbers in URLs allow APIs to evolve while maintaining backward compatibility for existing clients.

Common Endpoint Mistakes

Mixing Actions in URLs

❌ Bad: /articles/123/delete

✅ Good: DELETE /articles/123

⚠️ Why it is good: Using HTTP methods clearly separates the action from the resource, following REST principles.

Inconsistent Naming

❌ Bad: /article/123 and /comments/456

✅ Good: /articles/123 and /comments/456

⚠️ Why it is good: Consistency in naming makes APIs predictable and easier to use. Using plurals for all resource collections is a standard practice in RESTful API design.

Too Many Nested Levels

❌ Bad: /users/123/articles/456/comments/789/replies/101

✅ Good: /replies/101 with proper filtering

⚠️ Why it is good: Simplified endpoints are easier to maintain and use, while proper filtering parameters can still express relationships between resources.

Ignoring HTTP Methods

❌ Bad: POST /deleteArticle/123

✅ Good: DELETE /articles/123

⚠️ Why it is good: HTTP methods clearly express the intended action on a resource, following REST principles..

The Bottom Line

Endpoints are the specific paths that define where to access resources in an API. They’re the routes that, combined with HTTP methods, tell the server exactly what resource you want to work with and what action you want to perform.

Understanding endpoints helps you navigate API documentation, integrate with existing services, and recognize well-designed APIs. Whether you’re consuming third-party APIs or learning about API architecture, endpoints are the fundamental building blocks that make modern software integration possible.

Think of endpoints as the address system of API communication – each one represents a specific resource or collection you can access. Master this addressing system, and you’ll be fluent in reading API documentation and understanding how applications communicate with servers.

Continue Your API Journey

Ready to dive deeper?

• What is HTTP? How Web Communication Works - Learn about HTTP and how web communication works

FAQ

• How many endpoints should an API have?

  There’s no fixed number. Design endpoints around resources and actions. A typical REST API might have 10-50 endpoints organized by resource type (/users, /articles, /comments).

• Should I version my API endpoints?

  Yes. Use URL versioning (/v1/users) or header versioning (Accept: application/vnd.api+json;version=1). This lets you make breaking changes without disrupting existing clients.

• What’s the difference between query parameters and path parameters?

  Path parameters identify resources (/users/123). Query parameters filter or modify results (/users?status=active&limit=10). Use paths for required IDs, queries for optional filters.

• Can one endpoint handle multiple HTTP methods?

  Yes. RESTful APIs typically use the same endpoint with different methods: GET /articles (list), POST /articles (create), GET /articles/123 (read), PUT /articles/123 (update).

• How do I organize complex API endpoints?

  Group by resource, use nested routes for relationships (/users/123/posts), and keep URLs hierarchical and predictable. Avoid deeply nested routes (max 2-3 levels).

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Olga S.

Founder of NewsDataHub — Distributed Systems & Data Engineering

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