---
title: "REST"
description: "REST is an architectural style for HTTP, resource-based APIs. Learn GET/POST/PUT/DELETE, statelessness and how it compares with SOAP and GraphQL."
url: "https://nodea.io/en/glossary/rest"
lang: "en"
updated: "2026-07-13"
---

# REST

> REST is an architectural style for designing networked interfaces in which communication runs over HTTP and data is treated as resources with unique addresses.

**REST** (*Representational State Transfer*) is an architectural style for designing networked interfaces in which applications communicate over the [HTTP](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/http) protocol and data is treated as **resources** that each have a unique address (URL). An interface built to REST principles is called a RESTful API, and it is today the most common way to exchange data between front ends, mobile apps and external services.

## How REST works

In REST, every resource — a user, an order, a product — has its own address, and operations on it are expressed with standard HTTP methods:

- **GET** — retrieve a resource (for example a list of orders),
- **POST** — create a new resource,
- **PUT / PATCH** — update an existing resource,
- **DELETE** — remove a resource.

Responses are most often returned as [JSON](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/json), and the outcome of each operation is signalled by HTTP status codes (200, 201, 404, 500). A defining trait of REST is **statelessness**: the server does not remember previous requests, so every request must be self-contained. Good practices also include a consistent URL structure, API versioning and disciplined use of status codes.

## REST in practice

REST underpins most modern [APIs](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/api): a mobile app fetches data from a server, a store integrates with a payment system, and an admin panel talks to the backend all through REST calls. Statelessness makes horizontal scaling easy — you can add servers without sharing sessions, which pairs well with running an application on [VPS servers](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/vps) behind a load balancer. Alternatives to REST include the older [SOAP](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/soap) and the newer GraphQL, but for most web use cases REST remains the default choice thanks to its simplicity and ubiquity.

### How is REST different from SOAP?

SOAP is a rigid XML-based protocol with elaborate security and transaction standards. REST is a lighter architectural style using plain HTTP and usually JSON. REST is simpler to implement and dominates public web APIs, while SOAP still appears in enterprise systems.

### What does it mean that REST is stateless?

Statelessness means the server keeps no information about a client's previous requests. Each request must carry everything needed to process it, including authentication. This makes scaling easier because any server can handle any request.

## Related

- [API](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/api)
- [HTTP](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/http)
- [JSON](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/json)
- [SOAP](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/soap)
- [Webhook](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/webhook)

---

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