REST API glossary: Freelancer level
15 REST API terms at the Freelancer level, each with a short definition and a link to its full page.
Updated
- API Gateway
- A single front door that routes requests to many backend services.
- Backend for Frontend
- A small server built for one front end, shaping data and holding tokens.
- Caching Headers
- Headers that say how long a response may be reused.
- Conditional Request
- A request that only proceeds if the resource is still in the expected state.
- Content Negotiation
- The client asks for a format with Accept; the server picks one it supports.
- Contract Testing
- Checking an API still matches its agreed description.
- ETag
- A version fingerprint that lets clients skip downloading unchanged data.
- Idempotency Key
- A unique value that stops a retried POST from happening twice.
- Long-Running Operation
- Answering 202 at once and letting the client poll a status URL.
- OAuth 2.0
- A standard for granting apps limited access via tokens instead of passwords.
- OpenID Connect
- Sign-in built on OAuth 2.0; used by "Sign in with Google".
- Preflight Request
- The OPTIONS check a browser sends before some cross-origin requests.
- Rate Limiting
- Capping how many requests a client can send in a period.
- Refresh Token
- A long-lived token used to get new short-lived access tokens.
- Webhook
- An HTTP call a service sends to your URL when something happens.