Best practices for web API design

We packaged up over 15 years of experience designing and managing APIs at incredible scale with Google Cloud's API management product, Apigee.

Download this report to learn from this experience—including our most important guiding principle: considering the application developer’s point of view first. 

Download ebook

First name
Last name
Business email
Calling Code
  • Japan (+81)
  • Afghanistan (+93)
  • Åland Islands (+358)
  • Albania (+355)
  • Algeria (+213)
  • American Samoa (+1)
  • Andorra (+376)
  • Angola (+244)
  • Anguilla (+1)
  • Antigua & Barbuda (+1)
  • Argentina (+54)
  • Armenia (+374)
  • Aruba (+297)
  • Ascension Island (+247)
  • Australia (+61)
  • Austria (+43)
  • Azerbaijan (+994)
  • Bahamas (+1)
  • Bahrain (+973)
  • Bangladesh (+880)
  • Barbados (+1)
  • Belarus (+375)
  • Belgium (+32)
  • Belize (+501)
  • Benin (+229)
  • Bermuda (+1)
  • Bhutan (+975)
  • Bolivia (+591)
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina (+387)
  • Botswana (+267)
  • Brazil (+55)
  • British Indian Ocean Territory (+246)
  • British Virgin Islands (+1)
  • Brunei (+673)
  • Bulgaria (+359)
  • Burkina Faso (+226)
  • Burundi (+257)
  • Cambodia (+855)
  • Cameroon (+237)
  • Canada (+1)
  • Cape Verde (+238)
  • Caribbean Netherlands (+599)
  • Cayman Islands (+1)
  • Central African Republic (+236)
  • Chad (+235)
  • Chile (+56)
  • China (+86)
  • Christmas Island (+61)
  • Cocos (Keeling) Islands (+61)
  • Colombia (+57)
  • Comoros (+269)
  • Congo - Brazzaville (+242)
  • Congo - Kinshasa (+243)
  • Cook Islands (+682)
  • Costa Rica (+506)
  • Côte d’Ivoire (+225)
  • Croatia (+385)
  • Curaçao (+599)
  • Cyprus (+357)
  • Czechia (+420)
  • Denmark (+45)
  • Djibouti (+253)
  • Dominica (+1)
  • Dominican Republic (+1)
  • Ecuador (+593)
  • Egypt (+20)
  • El Salvador (+503)
  • Equatorial Guinea (+240)
  • Eritrea (+291)
  • Estonia (+372)
  • Eswatini (+268)
  • Ethiopia (+251)
  • Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (+500)
  • Faroe Islands (+298)
  • Fiji (+679)
  • Finland (+358)
  • France (+33)
  • French Guiana (+594)
  • French Polynesia (+689)
  • Gabon (+241)
  • Gambia (+220)
  • Georgia (+995)
  • Germany (+49)
  • Ghana (+233)
  • Gibraltar (+350)
  • Greece (+30)
  • Greenland (+299)
  • Grenada (+1)
  • Guadeloupe (+590)
  • Guam (+1)
  • Guatemala (+502)
  • Guernsey (+44)
  • Guinea (+224)
  • Guinea-Bissau (+245)
  • Guyana (+592)
  • Haiti (+509)
  • Honduras (+504)
  • Hong Kong (+852)
  • Hungary (+36)
  • Iceland (+354)
  • India (+91)
  • Indonesia (+62)
  • Iraq (+964)
  • Ireland (+353)
  • Isle of Man (+44)
  • Israel (+972)
  • Italy (+39)
  • Jamaica (+1)
  • Japan (+81)
  • Jersey (+44)
  • Jordan (+962)
  • Kazakhstan (+7)
  • Kenya (+254)
  • Kiribati (+686)
  • Kosovo (+383)
  • Kuwait (+965)
  • Kyrgyzstan (+996)
  • Laos (+856)
  • Latvia (+371)
  • Lebanon (+961)
  • Lesotho (+266)
  • Liberia (+231)
  • Libya (+218)
  • Liechtenstein (+423)
  • Lithuania (+370)
  • Luxembourg (+352)
  • Macao (+853)
  • Madagascar (+261)
  • Malawi (+265)
  • Malaysia (+60)
  • Maldives (+960)
  • Mali (+223)
  • Malta (+356)
  • Marshall Islands (+692)
  • Martinique (+596)
  • Mauritania (+222)
  • Mauritius (+230)
  • Mayotte (+262)
  • Mexico (+52)
  • Micronesia (+691)
  • Moldova (+373)
  • Monaco (+377)
  • Mongolia (+976)
  • Montenegro (+382)
  • Montserrat (+1)
  • Morocco (+212)
  • Mozambique (+258)
  • Myanmar (Burma) (+95)
  • Namibia (+264)
  • Nauru (+674)
  • Nepal (+977)
  • Netherlands (+31)
  • New Caledonia (+687)
  • New Zealand (+64)
  • Nicaragua (+505)
  • Niger (+227)
  • Nigeria (+234)
  • Niue (+683)
  • Norfolk Island (+672)
  • North Macedonia (+389)
  • Northern Mariana Islands (+1)
  • Norway (+47)
  • Oman (+968)
  • Pakistan (+92)
  • Palau (+680)
  • Palestine (+970)
  • Panama (+507)
  • Papua New Guinea (+675)
  • Paraguay (+595)
  • Peru (+51)
  • Philippines (+63)
  • Poland (+48)
  • Portugal (+351)
  • Puerto Rico (+1)
  • Qatar (+974)
  • Réunion (+262)
  • Romania (+40)
  • Russia (+7)
  • Rwanda (+250)
  • Samoa (+685)
  • San Marino (+378)
  • São Tomé & Príncipe (+239)
  • Saudi Arabia (+966)
  • Senegal (+221)
  • Serbia (+381)
  • Seychelles (+248)
  • Sierra Leone (+232)
  • Singapore (+65)
  • Sint Maarten (+1)
  • Slovakia (+421)
  • Slovenia (+386)
  • Solomon Islands (+677)
  • Somalia (+252)
  • South Africa (+27)
  • South Korea (+82)
  • South Sudan (+211)
  • Spain (+34)
  • Sri Lanka (+94)
  • St. Barthélemy (+590)
  • St. Helena (+290)
  • St. Kitts & Nevis (+1)
  • St. Lucia (+1)
  • St. Martin (+590)
  • St. Pierre & Miquelon (+508)
  • St. Vincent & Grenadines (+1)
  • Sudan (+249)
  • Suriname (+597)
  • Svalbard & Jan Mayen (+47)
  • Sweden (+46)
  • Switzerland (+41)
  • Taiwan (+886)
  • Tajikistan (+992)
  • Tanzania (+255)
  • Thailand (+66)
  • Timor-Leste (+670)
  • Togo (+228)
  • Tokelau (+690)
  • Tonga (+676)
  • Trinidad & Tobago (+1)
  • Tristan da Cunha (+290)
  • Tunisia (+216)
  • Türkiye (+90)
  • Turkmenistan (+993)
  • Turks & Caicos Islands (+1)
  • Tuvalu (+688)
  • U.S. Virgin Islands (+1)
  • Uganda (+256)
  • Ukraine (+380)
  • United Arab Emirates (+971)
  • United Kingdom (+44)
  • United States (+1)
  • Uruguay (+598)
  • Uzbekistan (+998)
  • Vanuatu (+678)
  • Vatican City (+39)
  • Venezuela (+58)
  • Vietnam (+84)
  • Wallis & Futuna (+681)
  • Western Sahara (+212)
  • Yemen (+967)
  • Zambia (+260)
  • Zimbabwe (+263)

Business phone
Job title
Company name
  • Afghanistan
  • Albania
  • Algeria
  • American Samoa
  • Andorra
  • Angola
  • Anguilla
  • Antarctica
  • Antigua & Barbuda
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Aruba
  • Ascension Island
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahamas
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • Barbados
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Benin
  • Bermuda
  • Bhutan
  • Bolivia
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina
  • Botswana
  • Bouvet Island
  • Brazil
  • British Indian Ocean Territory
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Brunei
  • Bulgaria
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon
  • Canada
  • Cape Verde
  • Cayman Islands
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Chile
  • China
  • Christmas Island
  • Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  • Colombia
  • Comoros
  • Congo - Brazzaville
  • Congo - Kinshasa
  • Cook Islands
  • Costa Rica
  • Croatia
  • Curaçao
  • Curaçao
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Côte d’Ivoire
  • Denmark
  • Djibouti
  • Dominica
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • El Salvador
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Eritrea
  • Estonia
  • Eswatini
  • Ethiopia
  • Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
  • Faroe Islands
  • Fiji
  • Finland
  • France
  • French Guiana
  • French Polynesia
  • French Southern Territories
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Gibraltar
  • Greece
  • Greenland
  • Grenada
  • Guadeloupe
  • Guam
  • Guatemala
  • Guinea
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Heard & McDonald Islands
  • Honduras
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Iraq
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Kiribati
  • Kuwait
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Laos
  • Latvia
  • Lebanon
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Macao
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Mali
  • Malta
  • Marshall Islands
  • Martinique
  • Mauritania
  • Mauritius
  • Mayotte
  • Mexico
  • Micronesia
  • Moldova
  • Monaco
  • Mongolia
  • Montenegro
  • Montserrat
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Myanmar (Burma)
  • Namibia
  • Nauru
  • Nepal
  • Netherlands
  • New Caledonia
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Niue
  • Norfolk Island
  • North Macedonia
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Norway
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Palau
  • Palestine
  • Panama
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Pitcairn Islands
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Puerto Rico
  • Qatar
  • Romania
  • Russia
  • Rwanda
  • Réunion
  • Samoa
  • San Marino
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Senegal
  • Serbia
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • Singapore
  • Sint Maarten
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Solomon Islands
  • Somalia
  • South Africa
  • South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands
  • South Korea
  • South Sudan
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • St. Barthélemy
  • St. Helena
  • St. Kitts & Nevis
  • St. Lucia
  • St. Martin
  • St. Pierre & Miquelon
  • St. Vincent & Grenadines
  • Suriname
  • Svalbard & Jan Mayen
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • São Tomé & Príncipe
  • Taiwan
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania
  • Thailand
  • Timor-Leste
  • Togo
  • Tokelau
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad & Tobago
  • Tunisia
  • Turkmenistan
  • Turks & Caicos Islands
  • Tuvalu
  • Türkiye
  • U.S. Outlying Islands
  • U.S. Virgin Islands
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • Uruguay
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • Vatican City
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Wallis & Futuna
  • Western Sahara
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

  • 北海道
  • 青森県
  • 岩手県
  • 宮城県
  • 秋田県
  • 山形県
  • 福島県
  • 茨城県
  • 栃木県
  • 群馬県
  • 埼玉県
  • 千葉県
  • 東京都
  • 神奈川県
  • 新潟県
  • 富山県
  • 石川県
  • 福井県
  • 山梨県
  • 長野県
  • 岐阜県
  • 静岡県
  • 愛知県
  • 三重県
  • 滋賀県
  • 京都府
  • 大阪府
  • 兵庫県
  • 奈良県
  • 和歌山県
  • 鳥取県
  • 島根県
  • 岡山県
  • 広島県
  • 山口県
  • 徳島県
  • 香川県
  • 愛媛県
  • 高知県
  • 福岡県
  • 佐賀県
  • 長崎県
  • 熊本県
  • 大分県
  • 宮崎県
  • 鹿児島県
  • 沖縄県

  • Advertising & Marketing
  • Agriculture
  • Automotive
  • Consumer Packaged Goods
  • Education
  • Electrical & Electronics
  • Energy & Utilities
  • Financial Services
  • Food, Beverage & Restaurants
  • Gaming
  • Government
  • Healthcare & Life Sciences
  • Manufacturing
  • Media & Entertainment
  • Non-Profit
  • Professional & Business Services
  • Retail & Wholesale
  • Technology
  • Telecommunications
  • Tourism & Leisure
  • Logistics
  • Other

Sign me up to receive news, product updates, event information and special offers about Google Cloud.

I understand my personal data will be processed in accordance with Google’s Privacy Policy. Google Cloud will share your personal-related information, including you name, email address, phone number, title and other information, with its affiliates, Google LLC and Google Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. Please see this link on the Personal Information Protection Commission’s (“PPC”) website for information on the personal data protection regulations in California, USA, where Google LLC is located, and this link on PPC’s website regarding U.S. federal law. Please see this link for information on Singapore, where Google Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. is located.

What’s inside?
  • A "pragmatic REST" approach to API design
  • URL design best practices
  • Guidance on error handling and versioning
  • Examples of good API design
Google Cloud