What is Method & Path in an API?

When learning APIs, the first things you need to understand are the HTTP method and the endpoint path. These two define what action you want to perform and on which resource.

In this guide, we’ll use the popular Petstore API (a standard example API) to explain these concepts.

1. HTTP Method

HTTP methods tell the server what you want to do. The most common methods are:

Method	Meaning	Typical Use
GET	Retrieve data	Get pet information
POST	Create data	Add a new pet
PUT	Replace data	Update an existing pet
PATCH	Partially update data	Update specific fields
DELETE	Remove data	Delete a pet

Example: If you want to see information about a pet, you would use GET. If you want to add a new pet, you would use POST.

2. Endpoint Path

The endpoint path specifies where the resource lives on the server. Combined with the method, it defines the full action.

Example from Petstore: Get a pet

GET /pets/{id}

GET = retrieve data

/pets/{id} = the path to a specific pet

{id} = path parameter that you replace with the actual pet's ID

Full request URL example:

https://api.petstoreapi.com/v1/pets/pet_1Nv0FGQ9RKHgCVdK

Here, pet_1Nv0FGQ9RKHgCVdK is the pet ID you want to look up.

Principles about Paths

Here are some basic principles about endpoint paths in REST APIs:

Resource-Based: Paths should represent resources (nouns), not actions (verbs). For example, use /users instead of /getUsers.

Hierarchical Structure: Paths can show relationships. For example, /users/1234/orders means all orders for user 1234.

Use of Path Parameters: Path parameters like {petId} allow you to refer to specific resources.

Plural vs Singular: Use plural nouns for collections (/pets for all pets) and singular for specific items (/pets/12345).

Clarity & Consistency: Keep endpoint paths simple, intuitive, and consistent across the API.

By following these RESTful path conventions, APIs become easier to understand, use, and maintain.

3. How Method & Path Work Together

Let’s combine method and path in practice:

Action	Method	Path	Description
Get a pet	GET	/pets/{id}	Retrieve information about a specific pet
Create a pet	POST	/pets	Create a new pet with provided data
Update a pet	PUT	/pets/{id}	Replace an existing pet record
Delete a pet	DELETE	/pets/{id}	Remove a specific pet
List pets	GET	/pets	Retrieve a list of pets

Notice that the same path can be used with different methods to perform different actions. For example:

GET /pets/pet_1Nv0FGQ9RKHgCVdK   → Get pet info
DELETE /pets/pet_1Nv0FGQ9RKHgCVdK → Remove pet

4. Practical Tip for Beginners

Always check the method before constructing the request — a GET will usually not accept a body, while POST and PUT often require one.

Understand path parameters: anything in {} must be replaced with actual values.

Some APIs allow optional query parameters after the path (e.g., /pets?status=AVAILABLE).

Using tools like Apidog makes it easy to visualize the method + path and see the live response.

5. Key Takeaways

Understanding method & path is the foundation of working with APIs:

The method tells the server what you want to do (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH).

The path tells the server which resource you are acting on.

Combining method and path defines a unique action in the API.

Practice with examples like Petstore helps you grasp these concepts quickly.

Once you’re comfortable with method & path, you can move on to Parameters, which is the next piece of the API puzzle.

What is Method & Path in an API?

1. HTTP Method#

2. Endpoint Path#

Principles about Paths#

3. How Method & Path Work Together#