📌 Introduction
If you're starting your journey in web development, learning how to build a REST API in PHP is one of the most valuable skills you can have. APIs allow different systems to communicate — from mobile apps to web dashboards.
In this guide, we’ll walk through a simple way to create your own API using PHP.
🧠What is a REST API?
A REST API (Representational State Transfer) is a way for applications to communicate using HTTP methods like:
- GET → Retrieve data
- POST → Create data
- PUT → Update data
- DELETE → Remove data
👉 Example:
GET /api/users
🛠️ Requirements
Before we start, make sure you have:
- PHP installed (XAMPP / Hostinger / VPS)
- Basic knowledge of PHP
- A database (MySQL or PostgreSQL)
⚡ Step 1: Create Your Database
CREATE TABLE users (
id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
name VARCHAR(100),
email VARCHAR(100)
);
⚡ Step 2: Create Database Connection (db.php)
<?php
$conn = new mysqli("localhost", "root", "", "test_db");
if ($conn->connect_error) {
die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}
?>
⚡ Step 3: Create API File (api.php)
<?php
header("Content-Type: application/json");
include "db.php";
$method = $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'];
switch($method) {
case 'GET':
$result = $conn->query("SELECT * FROM users");
$data = [];
while($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) {
$data[] = $row;
}
echo json_encode($data);
break;
case 'POST':
$input = json_decode(file_get_contents("php://input"), true);
$name = $input['name'];
$email = $input['email'];
$conn->query("INSERT INTO users (name, email) VALUES ('$name', '$email')");
echo json_encode(["message" => "User added"]);
break;
case 'DELETE':
$id = $_GET['id'];
$conn->query("DELETE FROM users WHERE id=$id");
echo json_encode(["message" => "User deleted"]);
break;
default:
echo json_encode(["message" => "Invalid request"]);
}
?>
🧪 How to Test Your API
You can test your API using:
- Postman
- Browser (for GET requests)
- Axios (JavaScript frontend)
👉 Example request:
GET http://localhost/api.php
🔒 Important Tips
- Always sanitize inputs (to avoid SQL injection)
- Use prepared statements in production
- Add authentication (JWT or API keys)
