architectureintermediate

REST API

The standard way apps send and receive data over the internet.

What is REST API?

REST is a set of conventions for building APIs. GET requests fetch data, POST creates it, PUT updates it, DELETE removes it. When your frontend talks to your backend — it's usually via a REST API.

Every service vibe coders use has a REST API: Stripe API for payments, Supabase API for database queries, OpenAI API for AI responses. Understanding GET and POST covers 90% of what you need.

In Vibe Coding

Every vibe coded app uses REST APIs constantly. Lovable connecting to Supabase, Cursor calling OpenAI, your app sending emails through Resend — all REST API calls. Understanding GET (fetch data) and POST (send data) covers 90% of what you need.

Example

For example: Your app's product page sends a GET request to /api/products/123 to fetch the product details. When a user adds it to their cart, the app sends a POST request to /api/cart with the product ID.

Why this matters

This matters because REST API appears repeatedly when building, deploying, debugging, or connecting services in vibe coding workflows.

When you'll hit this in practice

You will usually run into REST API when working on Tutorials.

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