A REST API (Representational State Transfer API) is a type of application programming interface that follows the design principles of the REST architectural style, which is based on the HTTP protocol used by the web

. It provides a simple, uniform way for different software systems to communicate over the internet by using standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE to perform operations on resources identified by URLs

. Key points about REST APIs:

• REST is an architectural style, not a protocol or standard. It defines constraints and principles for building scalable and flexible web APIs

• A REST API allows clients (such as web browsers or mobile apps) to interact with server resources by sending HTTP requests and receiving responses, often in formats like JSON or XML

• REST APIs are stateless, meaning each request from a client must contain all the information needed to process it, without relying on stored session data on the server

• Resources in REST are identified by unique URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers), and the server provides representations of these resources to the client

• REST APIs are widely used for cloud applications, web services, and connecting components in microservices architectures due to their simplicity and flexibility

In summary, a REST API is a web-based interface that enables different software systems to exchange data and perform operations on resources in a standardized, stateless, and scalable way using HTTP