Why Avoiding verbs in URLs in Rest API? - Purpose & Use Cases

The Big Idea

What if your URLs could speak clearly without shouting commands?

The Scenario

Imagine you are building a website where users can manage their tasks. You decide to name your web addresses like /createTask or /deleteTask to perform actions.

The Problem

This approach quickly becomes confusing and inconsistent. It mixes actions with resource names, making URLs hard to remember and maintain. Also, it breaks the natural way web browsers and servers expect URLs to work.

The Solution

By avoiding verbs in URLs and focusing on nouns (resources), you create clear, consistent addresses like /tasks. Actions are then handled by HTTP methods like GET, POST, DELETE, making your API easier to understand and use.

Before vs After

✗ Before

POST /createTask
GET /deleteTask?id=123

✓ After

POST /tasks
DELETE /tasks/123

What It Enables

This approach enables clean, predictable URLs that work naturally with web standards and make your API easy to use and scale.

Real Life Example

Think of an online store: instead of /buyProduct, you use /products with POST to add to cart, and DELETE to remove items, making the system intuitive and consistent.

Key Takeaways

Manual URLs with verbs mix actions and resources, causing confusion.

Using nouns in URLs and HTTP methods for actions keeps APIs clean.

This leads to easier maintenance and better user experience.

Practice

1. Which of the following URLs follows the best practice of avoiding verbs in REST API design?

easy

A. /createUser

B. /getUser/123

C. /deleteUser/123

D. /users/123

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand URL naming conventions

   REST APIs should use nouns to represent resources, not verbs. URLs like /users/123 represent a user resource with ID 123.

2. Step 2: Identify verbs in URLs

   URLs like /getUser/123, /createUser, and /deleteUser/123 contain verbs (get, create, delete), which is against best practice.

3. Final Answer:

   /users/123 -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Use nouns in URLs = /users/123 [OK]

Hint: Use nouns for URLs, verbs go in HTTP methods [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Including verbs like 'get' or 'delete' in the URL
• Using action words instead of resource names
• Confusing HTTP methods with URL paths

2. Which HTTP method should be used with the URL /orders/456 to update an existing order?

easy

A. PUT

B. POST

C. DELETE

D. GET

Solution

1. Step 1: Match HTTP methods to actions

   GET retrieves data, POST creates new data, PUT updates existing data, DELETE removes data.

2. Step 2: Identify update action

   To update an existing order at /orders/456, the correct HTTP method is PUT.

3. Final Answer:

   PUT -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Update = PUT [OK]

Hint: PUT updates, POST creates, GET reads, DELETE removes [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using POST to update instead of create
• Using GET to modify data
• Confusing PUT and DELETE methods

3. Given the REST API call: DELETE /products/789, what is the expected action?

medium

A. Delete product with ID 789

B. Create a new product with ID 789

C. Retrieve product with ID 789

D. Update product with ID 789

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand HTTP DELETE method

   DELETE is used to remove a resource identified by the URL.

2. Step 2: Apply to given URL

   The URL /products/789 identifies product 789, so DELETE removes it.

3. Final Answer:

   Delete product with ID 789 -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   DELETE removes resource = Delete product with ID 789 [OK]

Hint: DELETE method removes resource at URL [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking DELETE retrieves data
• Confusing DELETE with POST or PUT
• Assuming URL contains action verbs

4. Identify the error in this REST API design: POST /updateUser/123

medium

A. User ID should not be in the URL

B. HTTP method POST cannot be used with user resources

C. URL contains a verb 'update', which should be avoided

D. URL should end with a question mark

Solution

1. Step 1: Check URL naming conventions

   URLs should use nouns to represent resources, not verbs like 'update'. The verb should be expressed by the HTTP method.

2. Step 2: Analyze the given URL

   The URL /updateUser/123 contains the verb 'update', which violates REST best practices.

3. Final Answer:

   URL contains a verb 'update', which should be avoided -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Verbs in URL = URL contains a verb 'update', which should be avoided [OK]

Hint: Avoid verbs in URLs; use HTTP methods for actions [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Putting verbs like 'update' in URLs
• Misusing HTTP methods
• Ignoring resource identification in URLs

5. You want to design a REST API to manage blog posts. Which URL and HTTP method combination correctly avoids verbs in the URL and uses HTTP methods properly to delete a post with ID 321?

hard

A. DELETE /deletePost/321

B. DELETE /posts/321

C. POST /posts/321/delete

D. GET /posts/delete/321

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify correct URL structure

   The URL should use a noun representing the resource, here /posts/321, without verbs like 'delete'.

2. Step 2: Match HTTP method to action

   To delete a resource, use the DELETE method with the resource URL.

3. Final Answer:

   DELETE /posts/321 -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Delete resource = DELETE + noun URL [OK]

Hint: Use DELETE method with noun URL to remove resource [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Including verbs like 'delete' in the URL
• Using GET or POST for delete actions
• Placing action words after resource ID