# API Overview

## RESTful API Principles

Our API follows RESTful design principles:

- **Resource-oriented**: Everything is a resource with a unique URL
- **Standard HTTP methods**: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH
- **JSON format**: Request and response bodies are JSON
- **HTTP status codes**: Standard codes indicate success or failure

## Base URL

```
https://api.example.com/v1
```

## Authentication

Include your API key in the request header:

```http
GET /api/overview HTTP/1.1
Host: api.example.com
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
```

## Request Format

```http
GET /v1/resources HTTP/1.1
Host: api.example.com
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
Content-Type: application/json
```

## Response Format

### Success Response

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "id": "123",
    "name": "Resource Name",
    "created_at": "2026-02-08T10:00:00Z"
  }
}
```

### Error Response

```json
{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "INVALID_REQUEST",
    "message": "The request was invalid"
  }
}
```

## Rate Limiting

- **Requests per second**: 100
- **Daily limit**: 1,000,000
- **Rate limit headers**:
  - `X-RateLimit-Limit`: Total requests allowed
  - `X-RateLimit-Remaining`: Requests remaining
  - `X-RateLimit-Reset`: When limit resets (Unix timestamp)