Definition
A REST API is a widely used architectural style for building APIs based on standard web protocols, using predictable, resource based URLs and standard HTTP methods to access and manipulate data.
Importance
REST's popularity means most developers already understand its conventions, which reduces onboarding time for new team members and makes integration with third party systems considerably more predictable than a bespoke or unfamiliar API style would be. For most applications with straightforward data needs, REST remains the simpler, more appropriate default, reserving more complex standards like GraphQL for situations that genuinely need them.
Application
We build REST APIs as the default choice for most integration and application development work, given their predictability, broad tooling support, and the fact that most third party systems a client needs to connect with also speak REST. This includes proper API documentation and versioning practices from the outset, since an undocumented or poorly versioned API tends to create integration headaches for whoever needs to build against it later, often a different team entirely from the one that originally built it.
