What is the difference between REST and RESTful?

REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style defined by six constraints: client-server separation, statelessness, cacheability, uniform interface, layered system, and optional code on demand. RESTful means conforming to these constraints. In practice, most APIs described as REST are HTTP APIs that use URL-based resources and HTTP verbs but don't fully conform to all REST constraints. The meaningful distinction is between well-designed HTTP APIs -- consistent patterns, correct status codes, proper error responses -- and HTTP APIs that use URLs without design discipline.

Should our API be stateless, and what does that mean in practice?

A stateless API means every request from the client contains all information the server needs to fulfil it -- the server doesn't store client session state between requests. Authentication state is passed with every request (as a Bearer token in the Authorization header) rather than maintained server-side as a session. Stateless APIs are easier to scale horizontally because any server instance can handle any request -- there's no session affinity required. In practice this means JWT tokens for authentication rather than server-side sessions, and request parameters for filtering and pagination rather than cursor state maintained server-side.

How do you handle pagination for large result sets?

The standard approach for most REST APIs is cursor-based pagination rather than offset-based. Offset pagination (?page=3&limit=20) breaks when records are inserted or deleted during pagination -- records are skipped or repeated. Cursor-based pagination (?after=cursor_value&limit=20) uses a stable reference point in the dataset that doesn't shift when the underlying data changes. The response includes a next_cursor value when more results are available and null when the end is reached. For analytics endpoints where total counts matter, offset pagination with a total count header is the right trade-off.

What does REST API development cost?

A focused REST API covering a single resource domain with authentication, standard CRUD operations, and OpenAPI documentation typically runs $20,000 to $50,000. A more complex API with multiple resource domains, OAuth 2.0 flows, webhook delivery, rate limiting tiers, and developer portal typically runs $50,000 to $120,000. Fixed cost agreed before development starts.

What is the difference between REST and RESTful?

REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style defined by six constraints: client-server separation, statelessness, cacheability, uniform interface, layered system, and optional code on demand. RESTful means conforming to these constraints. In practice, most APIs described as REST are HTTP APIs that use URL-based resources and HTTP verbs but don't fully conform to all REST constraints. The meaningful distinction is between well-designed HTTP APIs -- consistent patterns, correct status codes, proper error responses -- and HTTP APIs that use URLs without design discipline.

Should our API be stateless, and what does that mean in practice?

A stateless API means every request from the client contains all information the server needs to fulfil it -- the server doesn't store client session state between requests. Authentication state is passed with every request (as a Bearer token in the Authorization header) rather than maintained server-side as a session. Stateless APIs are easier to scale horizontally because any server instance can handle any request -- there's no session affinity required. In practice this means JWT tokens for authentication rather than server-side sessions, and request parameters for filtering and pagination rather than cursor state maintained server-side.

How do you handle pagination for large result sets?

The standard approach for most REST APIs is cursor-based pagination rather than offset-based. Offset pagination (?page=3&limit=20) breaks when records are inserted or deleted during pagination -- records are skipped or repeated. Cursor-based pagination (?after=cursor_value&limit=20) uses a stable reference point in the dataset that doesn't shift when the underlying data changes. The response includes a next_cursor value when more results are available and null when the end is reached. For analytics endpoints where total counts matter, offset pagination with a total count header is the right trade-off.

What does REST API development cost?

A focused REST API covering a single resource domain with authentication, standard CRUD operations, and OpenAPI documentation typically runs $20,000 to $50,000. A more complex API with multiple resource domains, OAuth 2.0 flows, webhook delivery, rate limiting tiers, and developer portal typically runs $50,000 to $120,000. Fixed cost agreed before development starts.

Are third-party developers or mobile teams spending more time reading your API's inconsistencies than integrating with its capabilities?
When your API returns an error, does the response tell the consuming developer what went wrong and what to do about it -- or just an HTTP status code?

An API that third-party developers can't use without calling your dev team is an API that hasn't finished being built.

RESTful APIs are the standard interface between systems: between your mobile app and backend, between your product and third-party integrations, between your data layer and the services that consume it. A well-designed REST API has consistent patterns, predictable error responses, clear versioning, and documentation that lets a developer integrate without support. A poorly designed one accumulates workarounds in every client that touches it.
RaftLabs builds RESTful APIs designed as products -- not as internal plumbing that happens to be externally accessible. Resource modelling, HTTP verb discipline, authentication (OAuth 2.0, JWT, API keys), rate limiting, versioning, error response standards, and OpenAPI 3.0 documentation generated from the code. Fixed cost agreed before development starts.

Resource-oriented design with consistent URL patterns, HTTP verbs, and response structures across all endpoints
OAuth 2.0 and JWT authentication with scoped permissions and token refresh
Rate limiting, pagination, and error responses standardised across every endpoint -- not per-developer convention
OpenAPI 3.0 documentation generated from the codebase, not written separately and left to drift

RaftLabs builds RESTful APIs designed as products -- resource-oriented design, OAuth 2.0 and JWT authentication, rate limiting, versioning, standardised error responses, and OpenAPI 3.0 documentation generated from the code. For mobile backends, third-party integrations, and platform APIs. Most REST API projects deliver in 6 to 14 weeks at a fixed cost.

RESTful APIs are the standard interface between systems -- between mobile and backend, between your product and its integrations, between data services and the applications that consume them. Most APIs are built as implementation details and retrofitted with documentation later. The result is inconsistent patterns, ambiguous error responses, and integration friction that compounds as more clients connect to the API.

A well-built REST API has the same qualities as a well-built product: a clear contract, consistent behaviour, error messages that tell consumers what went wrong, and documentation that matches the implementation. RaftLabs designs the API contract before writing implementation code -- resource naming, endpoint structure, authentication model, error response format, versioning strategy, and pagination pattern are agreed in an OpenAPI 3.0 specification that becomes the source of truth for development and documentation.

What we build

Resource-oriented API design

URL structure and HTTP verb discipline -- GET for retrieval, POST for creation, PUT and PATCH for updates, DELETE for removal -- applied consistently across all endpoints. Consistent response envelope structure and appropriate HTTP status codes throughout. Resource modelling that maps cleanly to your business entities without leaking implementation details. Design review before development to catch structural problems while they're cheap to fix.

Authentication and authorisation

OAuth 2.0 with authorisation code flow for user-delegated access, client credentials for service-to-service calls, and API key authentication for simpler integration patterns. JWT token issuance, validation, and refresh. Scope-based authorisation so API consumers get access only to what they need. Token revocation and rotation procedures for credential lifecycle management.

Rate limiting and throttling

Per-client rate limits that protect the API from abuse without blocking legitimate high-volume consumers. Rate limit headers in every response -- remaining requests and reset time -- so clients can implement backoff without guessing. Burst allowance for clients with variable request patterns. Differentiated limits by client tier or subscription level for APIs with multiple consumer categories.

Versioning and backwards compatibility

API versioning strategy -- URI versioning (/v1/, /v2/) or header versioning -- that allows breaking changes without breaking existing clients. Deprecation lifecycle with sunset headers and advance notice periods. Backwards-compatible change patterns that don't require version bumps for additive changes. Migration guides for clients upgrading between versions so the transition cost is predictable.

Error handling and response standards

Consistent error response structure across all endpoints: error code, human-readable message, optional field-level validation errors, and a reference to documentation. HTTP status codes used correctly throughout -- 400 for client errors, 401 for unauthenticated, 403 for unauthorised, 404 for not found, 422 for validation failures, 500 for server errors. Error logging with correlation IDs to support debugging across distributed systems.

OpenAPI documentation and developer experience

OpenAPI 3.0 specification generated from the codebase using annotations or code-first generation -- documentation that stays in sync with the implementation by construction. Interactive documentation deployed as a Swagger UI or Redoc instance. Authentication flows documented with example requests. SDK generation for common languages from the OpenAPI spec. Changelog maintained alongside the spec for version history.

Have an API project?

Tell us what the API needs to do, who will consume it, and what's broken about the current setup. We'll scope the design and build and give you a fixed cost.

Talk about your REST API project

API Development Services -- full API development capability overview
GraphQL Development -- GraphQL APIs for flexible data fetching across multiple client types
Third-Party API Integration -- connecting your systems to external APIs
API Gateway Development -- API gateway and management layer for multiple backend services

Custom Software Development -- full-stack builds with API development included
Web Application Development -- web applications backed by a REST API
Mobile App Development -- mobile apps that consume REST APIs

Frequently asked questions

: REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style defined by six constraints: client-server separation, statelessness, cacheability, uniform interface, layered system, and optional code on demand. RESTful means conforming to these constraints. In practice, most APIs described as REST are HTTP APIs that use URL-based resources and HTTP verbs but don't fully conform to all REST constraints. The meaningful distinction is between well-designed HTTP APIs -- consistent patterns, correct status codes, proper error responses -- and HTTP APIs that use URLs without design discipline.
: A stateless API means every request from the client contains all information the server needs to fulfil it -- the server doesn't store client session state between requests. Authentication state is passed with every request (as a Bearer token in the Authorization header) rather than maintained server-side as a session. Stateless APIs are easier to scale horizontally because any server instance can handle any request -- there's no session affinity required. In practice this means JWT tokens for authentication rather than server-side sessions, and request parameters for filtering and pagination rather than cursor state maintained server-side.
: The standard approach for most REST APIs is cursor-based pagination rather than offset-based. Offset pagination (?page=3&limit=20) breaks when records are inserted or deleted during pagination -- records are skipped or repeated. Cursor-based pagination (?after=cursor_value&limit=20) uses a stable reference point in the dataset that doesn't shift when the underlying data changes. The response includes a next_cursor value when more results are available and null when the end is reached. For analytics endpoints where total counts matter, offset pagination with a total count header is the right trade-off.
: A focused REST API covering a single resource domain with authentication, standard CRUD operations, and OpenAPI documentation typically runs $20,000 to $50,000. A more complex API with multiple resource domains, OAuth 2.0 flows, webhook delivery, rate limiting tiers, and developer portal typically runs $50,000 to $120,000. Fixed cost agreed before development starts.