A REST API (Representational State Transfer API) is a widely used style of API that uses standard web requests — GET, POST, PUT, DELETE — to let different applications communicate with each other, typically exchanging data formatted as JSON.
How REST APIs Work
- GET — retrieves existing data
- POST — creates new data
- PUT — updates existing data
- DELETE — removes existing data
The WordPress REST API
WordPress includes its own built-in REST API, letting external applications read and write WordPress content — posts, pages, users, and more — without going through the standard WordPress admin dashboard at all. It's the technology that makes headless WordPress possible.
Practical Uses for the WordPress REST API
- Building a fully custom mobile app that pulls content directly from WordPress
- Creating a headless WordPress site with a custom-built frontend
- Connecting WordPress to entirely external systems and services
- Building custom, dynamic features that need to interact directly with WordPress data
Why This Matters More Broadly
The REST API opened WordPress up considerably beyond being just a traditional content management system — content can now genuinely flow to and from virtually any modern application, not only a standard, traditional WordPress theme.
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