Building REST APIs with Node.js and Express

1-minute read
nodejs • express • rest-api • backend • full-stack

Express remains the most popular framework for building REST APIs in Node.js. It is minimal, unopinionated, and pairs well with middleware for auth, validation, and logging.

Project Setup

Initialize a project and install Express:

npm init -y
npm install express

Create a basic server with JSON body parsing:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();
app.use(express.json());

const items = [];

app.get('/api/items', (req, res) => res.json(items));

app.post('/api/items', (req, res) => {
  const item = { id: Date.now(), ...req.body };
  items.push(item);
  res.status(201).json(item);
});

app.listen(3000, () => console.log('API running on :3000'));

Structure for Production

Organize routes by resource (/users, /orders), use a router per domain, and separate controllers from route definitions. Add helmet for security headers, cors for cross-origin access, and a centralized error handler that returns consistent JSON error shapes.

Validation and Auth

Use express-validator or Zod for request validation. Protect routes with JWT middleware that verifies tokens before handlers run.

Conclusion

Express gives you a fast path from prototype to production API. Combine it with TypeScript, proper logging, and integration tests to build APIs that scale with your full stack application.