API Design Guide

The HEAD method asks for a response identical to that of a GET request, but without the response body. This is useful for retrieving meta-information written in response headers, without having to transport the entire content.

POST

The POST method requests that the server accept the entity enclosed in the request as a new subordinate of the web resource identified by the URI. The data POSTed might be, for example, an annotation for existing resources; a message for a bulletin board, newsgroup, mailing list, or comment thread; a block of data that is the result of submitting a web form to a data-handling process; or an item to add to a database.

POST /magazines

PUT

The PUT method requests that the enclosed entity be stored under the supplied URI. If the URI refers to an already existing resource, it is modified; if the URI does not point to an existing resource, then the server can create the resource with that URI.

HTTP methods

General information about HTTP methods usage

Use HTTP methods and status codes

HTTP Protocol

Content negociation and media types

How to describe your API data format and/or propose different formats (like json, yaml, xml atom, …)

HTTP Status Success

200 OK

Standard response for successful HTTP requests. The actual response will depend on the request method used. In a GET request, the response will contain an entity corresponding to the requested resource. In a POST request, the response will contain an entity describing or containing the result of the action.

201 Created

The request has been fulfilled, resulting in the creation of a new resource.

HTTP Status User Error

404 Not Found

The requested resource could not be found but may be available in the future. Subsequent requests by the client are permissible.

GET /magazines

405 Method Not Allowed

A request method is not supported for the requested resource; for example, a GET request on a form which requires data to be presented via POST, or a PUT request on a read-only resource.