


When you request content from or send content to the API, the response will also be returned in JSON. JSON is an open standard data format that is lightweight and human-readable, and looks like Objects do in JavaScript. Your application can send and receive JSON data to these endpoints to query, modify and create content on your site. The WordPress REST API provides REST endpoints (URLs) representing the posts, pages, taxonomies, and other built-in WordPress data types. REST, standing for “REpresentational State Transfer,” is a set of concepts for modeling and accessing your application’s data as interrelated objects and collections. What Is A REST API?Īn API is an Application Programming Interface. If you are not a developer, the most important thing to understand about the API is that it enables the block editor and modern plugin interfaces without compromising the security or privacy of your site. It provides data access to the content of your site, and implements the same authentication restrictions - content that is public on your site is generally publicly accessible via the REST API, while private content, password-protected content, internal users, custom post types, and metadata is only available with authentication or if you specifically set it to be so. The REST API is a developer-oriented feature of WordPress. Using the WordPress REST API you can create a plugin to provide an entirely new admin experience for WordPress, build a brand new interactive front-end experience, or bring your WordPress content into completely separate applications. It is the foundation of the WordPress Block Editor, and can likewise enable your theme, plugin or custom application to present new, powerful interfaces for managing and publishing your site content. The WordPress REST API provides an interface for applications to interact with your WordPress site by sending and receiving data as JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) objects.
