WordPress Rest API
What is WordPress Rest API
The WordPress REST API is an application programming interface (API) that allows developers to interact with WordPress sites programmatically using HTTP requests. It provides a way to access and manipulate WordPress site data in a structured format, typically JSON (JavaScript Object Notation).
Key features of the WordPress REST API include:
- Access to Core Data: The REST API provides access to various core WordPress data types such as posts, pages, users, comments, taxonomies, and more.
- Custom Endpoints: Developers can create custom endpoints to expose specific data or functionalities from their WordPress site.
- Authentication: The REST API supports different authentication methods such as cookie authentication, OAuth, and application passwords, allowing secure access to protected resources.
- CRUD Operations: It supports CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations, enabling developers to manage WordPress content programmatically.
- Extensibility: Developers can extend the REST API by creating custom routes and controllers to integrate additional functionalities or interact with third-party services.
- Cross-platform Integration: The REST API enables integration with various platforms, frameworks, and programming languages, making it versatile for building diverse applications and services.
- Headless WordPress: With the REST API, developers can build headless WordPress sites, where the frontend is decoupled from the backend, allowing greater flexibility in frontend technologies such as React, Vue.js, Angular, etc.
Overall, the WordPress REST API opens up new possibilities for developers to create innovative applications, mobile apps, single-page applications (SPAs), and integrate WordPress with other systems and services.
In order to use the WordPress API optimal (CRUD functionality) you need to install a plugin called
In order to use the WordPress API optimal (CRUD functionality) also need users with appropriate permissions, preferable admin. Be sure to create one(or more in Users tab in the dashboard)
Advantages with WordPress REST API
The WordPress REST API offers several advantages, which contribute to its popularity among developers and users alike:
- Flexible Integration: The REST API allows seamless integration of WordPress with other applications, frameworks, and platforms. This flexibility enables developers to create custom solutions tailored to specific needs, whether it’s a mobile app, a single-page application (SPA), or an external service.
- Headless WordPress: With the REST API, developers can build headless WordPress sites, where the frontend is decoupled from the backend. This approach offers greater flexibility and freedom in designing user interfaces using modern JavaScript frameworks like React, Vue.js, or Angular.
- Custom Applications: The REST API empowers developers to build custom applications that interact with WordPress data. This could range from specialized content management systems (CMS) to sophisticated web applications leveraging WordPress as a backend.
- Enhanced User Experience: By leveraging the REST API, developers can create dynamic and interactive user experiences. They can fetch and display content in real-time, implement personalized features, and enable smoother interactions between users and the WordPress site.
- Efficient Content Management: The REST API enables developers to automate content management tasks. They can create, update, delete, and retrieve WordPress content programmatically, streamlining workflows and improving productivity.
- Scalability: The REST API facilitates scalability by allowing developers to distribute tasks across multiple servers or services. It enables efficient communication between different components of a distributed system, ensuring optimal performance as traffic and workload increase.
- Third-Party Integrations: Developers can integrate WordPress with third-party services and APIs using the REST API. This opens up a wide range of possibilities, such as integrating e-commerce platforms, social media networks, analytics tools, and more, to extend the functionality of WordPress sites.
- Standardized Communication: The REST API adheres to RESTful principles, providing a standardized way to communicate and interact with WordPress sites. This standardization simplifies development and ensures interoperability across different applications and systems.
Overall, the WordPress REST API offers developers a powerful toolset to build custom solutions, enhance user experiences, and integrate WordPress with the broader digital ecosystem, driving innovation and creativity in web development.
Using REST API through Postman
EndPoints
Posts
To be inserted
Post with an ID
Create Post – Auth
Create Post Parameter
Create Post – Documentation
Create Post Plugin (For CRUD Operations)
Wordpress User – Needed for some CRUD API operations
Base URL for accessing the WordPress REST API
[GET]
http://yourdomain.com/wp-json/wp/v2/
In this URL:
yourdomain.comshould be replaced with your WordPress site’s domain name./wp-json/is a fixed segment indicating that you’re accessing the JSON representation of the API./wp/v2/is the base endpoint for the WordPress REST API, which provides access to core WordPress data types such as posts, pages, users, taxonomies, and more.- No Auth required
ROUTES and Endpoints - Base Root (Meta Data)
[GET]
https://www.yourdomain.com/wp-json
Retrieve a list of routes and endpoints . No auth requrired.
POSTS
[GET]
http://yourdomain.com/wp-json/wp/v2/posts
Retrieve a list of posts. No auth requrired.
[GET]
http://yourdomain.com/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/123
Retrieve information about a specific post with the ID 123 No auth requrired.
[GET]
- Posts: Endpoints related to posts allow you to retrieve, create, update, and delete posts on your WordPress site. Common endpoints include:
/wp/v2/posts: Retrieve a list of posts./wp/v2/posts/{id}: Retrieve a specific post by its ID./wp/v2/posts/{id}/revisions: Retrieve revisions of a specific post./wp/v2/posts/{id}/comments: Retrieve comments associated with a specific post.
PAGES
[GET]
http://yourdomain.com/wp-json/wp/v2/pages
Retrieve a list of pages. No auth requrired.
[GET]
http://yourdomain.com/wp-json/wp/v2/pages/123
Retrieve information about a specific pagewith the ID 123 No auth requrired.
[GET]
- Pages: Similar to posts, pages endpoints allow you to interact with pages on your WordPress site. Common endpoints include:
/wp/v2/pages: Retrieve a list of pages./wp/v2/pages/{id}: Retrieve a specific page by its ID.
Users
[GET]
http://yourdomain.com/wp-json/wp/v2/users
Retrieve a list of users. No auth requrired.
[GET]
http://yourdomain.com/wp-json/wp/v2/users/123
Retrieve information about a specific pagewith the ID 123 No auth requrired.
[GET]
- Users: User endpoints allow you to manage users on your WordPress site. Common endpoints include:
/wp/v2/users: Retrieve a list of users./wp/v2/users/{id}: Retrieve a specific user by their ID.
Categories and Tags
[GET]
http://yourdomain.com/wp-json/wp/v2/categories
Retrieve a list of categories. No auth requrired.
[GET]
http://yourdomain.com/wp-json/wp/v2/tags
Retrieve information about all tags. No auth requrired.
[GET]
- Categories and Tags: Endpoints related to categories and tags allow you to manage taxonomy terms. Common endpoints include:
/wp/v2/categories: Retrieve a list of categories./wp/v2/tags: Retrieve a list of tags.
Comments
[GET]
http://yourdomain.com/wp-json/wp/v2/comments
Retrieve a list of comments . No auth requrired.
[GET]
http://yourdomain.com/wp-json/wp/v2/comments/123
Retrieve information about a specific comment item with the ID 123 No auth requrired.
[GET]
- Comments: Comment endpoints allow you to manage comments on your WordPress site. Common endpoints include:
/wp/v2/comments: Retrieve a list of comments./wp/v2/comments/{id}: Retrieve a specific comment by its ID.