How to Build a Simple REST API with Node.js for Beginners

If you’re a beginner developer and looking to explore backend development, building a simple REST API with Node.js is a great place to start. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the steps to create a basic REST API from scratch, explaining each concept along the way.

Why Build a REST API?

A REST API (Representational State Transfer) allows different software applications to communicate over the web using HTTP methods such as GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. By mastering REST APIs, you can connect your frontend to your backend, enabling you to create powerful, full-stack applications.

So, let’s dive into building your first REST API using Node.js and Express.js.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Project

To get started, you’ll need Node.js installed on your machine. If you don’t have it yet, you can download it [here](https://nodejs.org/).

1. Create a new directory for your project:

mkdir simple-rest-api
cd simple-rest-api

2. Initialize your Node.js project by running the following command:

npm init -y

This will generate a `package.json` file where project dependencies will be managed.