API Endpoint: What They Are & Why They're Important [2025]

Key takeaways:

• API endpoints are the critical access points for APIs, enabling seamless data exchange and system interactions.
• Routes define general paths, while endpoints handle specific tasks, making API interactions efficient and task-focused.
• Developers use API endpoints to facilitate data exchange between two systems, which allows them to add various functionalities to apps, like payment processing or real-time updates.
• Tools like Postman and cURL ensure endpoint functionality and reliability for operations like GET, POST, and DELETE.

API endpoints are the key points where apps exchange data and interact. Whether it’s enabling user logins, providing real-time updates like stock prices, or powering features like AI-powered video generation, endpoints are at the heart of modern app functionality.

With 60% of developers prioritizing participation in the API economy, understanding API endpoints is essential for creating connected, feature-rich apps. 

This guide will explain what API endpoints are, how they work, and provide examples. 

What is an API Endpoint?

An API endpoint is a URL or URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) that provides access to an API’s functionality.

Think of them as digital touchpoints where software applications interact and exchange data. Whenever you want to access an API, you “hit” an endpoint with a request that includes information about the type of operation you want to perform, like fetching or sending data. The endpoint sends back the requested data or a status response in return.

“Route” and “endpoint” are often used interchangeably but have distinct meanings. A route is a general path pattern. It defines the URL structure and logic that will handle a request.

Route example: /users/:id

On the other hand, an endpoint is a specific location that handles a request. It executes a particular task.

Endpoint example: /users/123

A route is like a street, such as “Main Street," while an endpoint is a specific house on that street, such as “House #25, Main Street." The street sets the structure, while the house is where the action happens.

API vs. Endpoint

An API is a complete toolkit. It includes a structured set of rules, functions, and protocols that help two applications interact. It’s the infrastructure working behind the scenes that enables systems to connect and exchange data. An endpoint is the URL or address you use to access a specific service that the API offers. 

API Endpoint Example

Suppose a developer wants to integrate text-to-speech functionality into an app, enabling end users to generate natural, human-like voices for customer service agents or personalized marketing. To achieve this functionality, developers can use Tavus’ Replica API.

In Tavus’ Replica API, the endpoint is: GET /v2/replicas/{replica_id}

Here’s how it works:

• Purpose: The endpoint retrieves details about a specific replica using a unique identifier (replica_id).
• Authorization: The request header must include an API key (x-api-key) to verify access.
• Optional query parameter: You can include verbose=data to include additional data, such as the type of replica (user-created or system-generated).
• Response: The API returns JSON data, including the replica’s name, training progress, creation date, and status (started, completed, or error). It might include an error_message if there’s an issue.

This endpoint is part of Tavus’ personalized video generation API which allows developers to create and incorporate AI-generated replicas into their app experience. Tavus is an AI video platform designed to generate hyper-personalized videos for marketing, customer engagement, onboarding, and more.

Why are API Endpoints Important?

Here’s why API endpoints are critical in software development:

• Facilitate communication: Endpoints allow apps and systems to interact. Whether an app needs to fetch weather data from a third party platform or process a payment, it relies on an API endpoint.
• Task-oriented design: Endpoints are purpose-built for specific tasks. For example, the GET /replicas/{replica_id} endpoint in Tavus’ Replica API retrieves data about a specific replica. This ensures efficiency and predictability in interactions.
• Scalability: Endpoints make APIs modular. Adding new features? Just define a new endpoint. This gives your business the flexibility to scale systems without overhauling the entire infrastructure.
• Interoperability: Endpoints allow diverse systems, including apps, databases, and third-party tools, to connect seamlessly even if they’re built on different tech stacks.
• User experience: Well-documented and reliable endpoints mean fewer headaches for developers, faster integrations, and better user experiences.

How API Endpoints Work

Here’s an overview of how API endpoints work:

• Setup: The API endpoint is a specific URL that’s tied to a server. It's listening and ready to receive requests whenever your app says, “Hey, I need something!” For example, when you hit an endpoint like GET /user/123, you’re essentially ringing a virtual doorbell.
• Request: Your app sends a request structured as an HTTP call to the endpoint. The request can include:some text
  • Method: Specifies the action, such as GET, POST, PUT, or DELETE.
  • Headers: Adds extra data such as authentication tokens.
  • Payload: Sends additional information, such as user data in a POST request.

For example, a mobile banking app might send a GET request to /transactions?date=2024-11-01 to fetch all transactions for a specific date.

• Processing: The API processes the request once it reaches the server. It verifies the inputs, checks permissions, and performs the action. The action could be fetching data, updating the database, or triggering another system.
• Response: The API responds to the app in JSON or XML format. The response contains:some text
  • Status code: Indicates success (200 OK) or errors (404 Not Found, 500 Internal Server Error).
  • Payload: Includes requested data or a confirmation of the action.

For example, a successful response from Tavus’ Replica API might include the replica’s status or metadata about the personalized video being generated.

• Integration: The app takes the response and makes sense of it—displaying data to users, updating the interface, or logging actions.

Key Components of API Endpoints

There are five key components of API endpoints that play a role in facilitating communication between two apps. Here’s an overview of those key components:

• HTTP methods: HTTP methods define the action you want the API to perform on a resource. Think of them as verbs in API’s language—GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE.
• Resource representation: Resources are “things” that APIs manage. This includes users, products, orders, and more. Endpoints represent these resources with URLs. For example, /users might represent a list of users while /users/25 targets a specific user.
• Parameters: Parameters let you customize API requests to be more specific. Here are examples of commonly used parameters:some text
  • Path parameters: The path parameter is a part of the endpoint itself, like /users/{id}, where {id} is replaced with a specific value.
  • Query parameters: Query parameters are key-value pairs added after a ? in the URL. For example, /users?role=admin.
  • Header parameters: Header parameters include metadata sent with requests, such as API keys for authentication.
• Response Format: The API’s response generally comes in JSON (lightweight, easy to parse) or XML (more verbose but occasionally preferred). A typical response includes status codes (200 OK, 400 Bad Request, or 500 Internet Server Error) and data payload (the requested data or confirmation of an action).
• Versioning: Versioning ensures that changes in API don’t break existing integrations. It also allows developers to keep using the old version if they’re not ready to upgrade.

How to Test API Endpoints

You can use various tools, such as Postman, cURL, and Swagger to test endpoints. Here are some common API endpoint tests:

GET Endpoint

The GET endpoint retrieves data without altering it. To test, send a GET request to the endpoint, such as /users/25. Check the response—the status code should be 200 OK for success and 404 Not Found if the resource doesn’t exist. Also, verify that the payload matches the expected resource.

POST Endpoint

The POST endpoint is used to create a new resource. To test, send a POST request with a request body (payload) and include necessary headers like Content-Type: application/json and authentication keys. Then validate the response—the status code should be 201 Created for success or 400 Bad Request for invalid input. Also, ensure that the response contains details of the created resource.

PUT Endpoint

The PUT endpoint updates an existing resource entirely or partially. To test the PUT endpoint, send a PUT request to the resource’s endpoint (for example, /users/25) with a payload. Ensure that the headers include Content-Type: application/json and authentication tokens. The status code for successfully updating the resource is 200 OK and 404 Not Found if the resource doesn’t exist. Verify that the updated resource matches the request to validate the response.

DELETE Endpoint

The DELETE endpoint is used to remove a resource. To test it, send a DELETE request to the resource’s endpoint. The status code for successful deletion is 204 No Content, while 404 Not Found shows the resource doesn’t exist. The payload is typically empty, but verify if any additional information is returned.

Best Practices for Designing API Endpoints

When designing API endpoints, keep the following best practices in mind to build APIs that are intuitive, robust, and ready to scale:

• Use RESTful APIs: Use nouns for resources (/users, /products, etc.) instead of verbs and let HTTP methods (GET, POST, etc.) define actions.
• Follow consistent naming conventions: Use snake_case or camelCase consistently across endpoints.
• Use versioning: Include versions in the URL or headers (for example, /v1/users) to maintain backward compatibility.
• Implement meaningful status codes: Respond with clear HTTP codes like 200 OK, 404 Not Found, or 500 Internal Server Error.
• Support filtering, sorting, and pagination: Filtering allows clients to request specific subsets of data (for example, /users?role=admin), while sorting lets developers control the order of returned data (for example, /products?sort=price&order=asc). Pagination, implemented via parameters like ?page=2&limit=20, breaks data into manageable chunks and prevents overwhelming responses.
• Design for scalability: Plan for high-traffic scenarios with efficient queries and caching.
• Document thoroughly: Use tools like Swagger or Postman to create API documentation that developers can easily follow.

Learn More About API Endpoints

Now that we’ve covered all the basics, let’s discuss some commonly asked questions about API endpoints.

What is the endpoint type in API?

An endpoint type describes the purpose and behavior of an endpoint. Endpoints are categorized based on the kind of operations they perform and the nature of resources they interact with.

CRUD endpoints (resource-based), for example, represent core Create, Read, Update, and Delete operations for a resource. Action endpoints (verb-based) perform specific actions beyond standard CRUD operations. For example, /users/25/reset-password triggers a password reset, distinct from resource updates. There may be search or query endpoints that allow for filtering, sorting, or advanced queries. Here’s an example: /products?category=shoes&sort=price_asc.

What is an example of an endpoint in REST API?

In a REST API, endpoints interact with specific resources. For example, let’s say the endpoint is https://api.example.com/v1/products/25. Here’s how it works:

• https://api.example.com is the base URL (the root address for the API).
• /v1/ specifies the API version.
• /products/25 targets a specific product with ID 42.

Here’s how you might use this endpoint:

• A GET request to this endpoint retrieves details of product 42.
• A PUT request updates its attributes—price, inventory count, color, etc.
• A DELETE request removes product 42 from the catalog.

How to identify API endpoints?

The API’s official documentation lists available endpoints, paths, methods, required parameters, and response formats. However, if the documentation is incomplete or outdated, you can try methods like exploring with Postman or Swagger UI or analyzing network traffic.

For example, dynamically generated endpoints (like webhooks) require real-time discovery, while private or beta endpoints can be found through network inspection since they’re probably still not added to the official documentation.

What is the difference between REST API and endpoint?

REST API is an entire system—a framework of rules, resources, and operations that define how data is exchanged—that enables communication between a client (like your app) and a server. The endpoint is a single point of contact within that system. It’s a specific address where the client sends a request to interact with a specific resource.

Easily Generate Video API Endpoints

Tavus API enables end users to generate ultra-realistic videos of themselves using a script. As a developer, you can use the Tavus API to empower your users to generate video content for explainer videos, public announcements, and more. The avatar isn’t animated—Tavus uses voice cloning, lip-syncing, and real media blending to generate avatars that look just like humans.

It’s also easy for users to train the Tavus API. They only need to submit two minutes of video content to help the model study facial features, behavior, emotion, and more.

Tavus’ script generator helps users generate scripts in real time. With Tavus, users can submit scripts in over 30 languages and easily generate videos using their real voice and in their preferred language.

If you’re a developer looking to add AI-powered videos and digital replicas into your app, get started with Tavus.