Dictionary term
REST API
Also called REST
Automation PlatformsBeginner
An interface style where you access and modify resources over HTTP using methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE, typically exchanging JSON.
In plain English
A REST API is a standard way for apps to ask another service for data, or to change it, by sending web requests to specific addresses.
Analogy
Like a restaurant menu: standard requests get standard, predictable responses from the kitchen.
Why it matters
Most platform integrations and HTTP modules you build in n8n/Make/Zapier talk to REST APIs, so understanding them lets you connect to almost any service.
In practice
Calling GET https://api.example.com/contacts/123 to retrieve one contact as JSON.
Related terms
Sources
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