Filtering & Searching

A professional API shouldn't just return 10,000 items. It must allow clients to drill down into exactly what they need using Query Parameters.

1. Basic Filtering

Use simple key-value pairs in the query string for exact matches.

GET /products?category=electronics&status=active

2. Advanced Filter Patterns

For more than just equality, use brackets to define operators in the URI.

# Price greater than or equal to 500
GET /products?price[gte]=500

# Created after a certain date
GET /users?createdAt[gt]=2023-01-01

3. Full-Text Searching

Provide a dedicated q or search parameter for keyword-based searching across multiple fields.

GET /articles?search=javascript+best+practices

4. Field Selection (Sparse Fieldsets)

Allow clients to request only the fields they need to save bandwidth and improve performance.

GET /users/123?fields=name,email,avatar