Glossary
What is REST API?
A REST API is a widely used type of API that works through ordinary web requests (HTTP) to fixed addresses, called endpoints. The response is usually JSON.
REST API explained
A REST API uses the ordinary verbs of the web: GET to retrieve something, POST to create something, PUT or PATCH to change something and DELETE to remove something. Each endpoint is an address, such as /api/v1/orders, and parameters are passed in the URL or in the request body.
The response carries a status code that says how it went. 200 means success, 401 that you are not identified, 404 that something does not exist and 429 that you are making too many requests. This lets the calling system handle errors properly.
REST APIs are stateless: each request contains everything needed, including identification. That makes them easy to scale and test, with tools such as curl, Postman or an ordinary browser for GET requests.
Example
A developer working for Acme Groothandel fetches the open orders with a GET request to /api/v1/queries/open-orders, with the API key in the header. The response is a JSON list with the number, customer and amount of each order.
REST API in ENABLE
In ENABLE every published query becomes a REST endpoint at /api/v1/queries/[slug], called with an API key in the X-API-Key header. By default an endpoint returns up to 5,000 rows, configurable up to 50,000, and endpoints are read-only.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does REST stand for?
REST stands for representational state transfer, a style for building web APIs with fixed addresses and the ordinary HTTP verbs. An API that follows this style is called a REST API or RESTful API.
What is an endpoint?
An endpoint is a fixed address of an API where you request a particular kind of data or perform an action. For example /api/v1/orders for a list of orders.
What is the difference between REST and GraphQL?
With REST, each kind of data has its own endpoint with a fixed response. With GraphQL, there is a single endpoint and the caller specifies which fields it wants back.
Further reading
- PlatformData API: expose your data warehouse via RESTPublish a query as a secure REST endpoint for other systems and apps.Read more
- SolutionAI agents for business: start with secure dataAI agents start with secure, limited data access. This is how ENABLE lays that foundation.Read more
- PlatformBuild internal apps on your business dataDescribe an app in a chat and the AI Builder builds it on your own data (pilot). Plus all your other apps in one hub.Read more
- ResourcesGlossary of data, AI and Power BI termsWhat is a service principal, row-level security, a semantic model, text-to-SQL or RAG? Short, clear definitions of terms around data, Power BI and AI.Read more
Use AI on your own data. Securely, and without the headache.
In an online demo we show how ENABLE makes your data securely available and how you build on it: describing an app in the AI Builder, plain-language questions, dashboards and APIs. And how we set it up and manage it for you.