JSON API
JSON API is a specification for building APIs in JSON format, defining conventions for request and response structures, relationships, and error handling. It standardizes how clients and servers communicate, promoting consistency and efficiency in API design. The specification includes features like sparse fieldsets, sorting, pagination, and compound documents to optimize data transfer.
Developers should use JSON API when building RESTful APIs that require standardized, self-descriptive responses and efficient data fetching, such as in web or mobile applications with complex data relationships. It is particularly useful for projects needing consistent error handling, filtering, and pagination across multiple endpoints, reducing client-side complexity and improving performance through optimized payloads.