Building REST APIs in PHP with Best Practices

REST APIs are the backbone of modern web applications. PHP provides flexibility to build APIs following best practices.

Routing and Controllers

Use proper routing and controllers to separate endpoints:

Route::get('/posts', [PostController::class, 'index']);
Route::post('/posts', [PostController::class, 'store']);

JSON Responses

Always respond with consistent JSON structure:

{
    "status": "success",
    "data": { ... }
}

Authentication & Security

• JWT or OAuth for auth
• Validation on input
• Rate limiting for public endpoints

Pagination & Filtering

Use query parameters to allow flexible filtering:

GET /posts?page=2&limit=20&category=3

Conclusion

Following these best practices in PHP ensures your APIs are maintainable, secure, and scalable.