Learn
Connect
Blog
Resource hub
Featured resource
2026 Tech Forecast
2026 Tech Forecast

1,500+ tech insiders, business leaders, and Pluralsight Authors share their predictions on what’s shifting fastest and how to stay ahead.

Download the forecast
  • Learning Path
    • Libraries: This path is only available in the libraries listed. To access this path, purchase a license for the corresponding library.
  • Core Tech
    •

API Design and Development

9 Courses
5 Labs
18 Hours
Skill IQ

API design and development sits at the center of the software delivery process, connecting the services, apps, and teams that depend on each other. This path shows you where it fits and how to use it. You’ll put it to work by first designing REST APIs with sound structure, then moving on to securing, testing, and documenting them for production. From there, you’ll explore gRPC and GraphQL for fast service-to-service communication. By the end, you’ll be equipped to build secure, well-documented APIs that scale.

Get started
Content in this path
REST APIs

Learn the foundations of building secure, effective and documented REST APIs.

Course
REST Fundamentals
  • by Markus Neuhoff
  • 2h 39m
  • May 22, 2024
Course
Designing RESTful Web APIs
  • by Shawn Wildermuth
  • 1h 47m
  • Mar 04, 2024
Course
API Testing Strategies
  • by Marko Vajs
  • 58m
  • Aug 14, 2024
Course
API Security Practices
  • by Travis Thomsen
  • 1h 36m
  • Aug 06, 2024
Lab
Guided: Exploring Best Practices in RESTful API Development
  • by Amar
  • 32m
  • Mar 09, 2026
Course
Documenting APIs Effectively
  • by Michael Hoffman
  • 1h 2m
  • Jun 27, 2024
Lab
Guided: Effective API Documentation Strategies
  • by Eman Hassan
  • 44m
  • Nov 29, 2025
Course
Implementing Rest APIs in Node.js
  • by James Millar
  • 1h 53m
  • May 30, 2024
Course
Designing APIs for Microservices
  • by Esteban Herrera
  • 1h 16m
  • Jun 04, 2024
Lab
Guided: Exploring API Versioning Strategies
  • by Amar
  • 25m
  • Nov 26, 2025
GraphQL, Protocol Buffers and gRPC

Learn the foundations of Protocol Buffers and gRPC.

Course
Protocol Buffer Fundamentals
  • by Mike VanSickle
  • 2h 13m
  • Apr 18, 2024
Lab
Guided: Crafting Efficient APIs with GraphQL
  • by Edward Curren
  • 24m
  • Sep 30, 2025
Course
gRPC Fundamentals
  • by Mike VanSickle
  • 2h 1m
  • Jun 25, 2024
Lab
Guided: Exploring gRPC Foundations
  • by Esteban Herrera
  • 30m
  • Oct 29, 2026
Try this learning path for free
Access this learning path and other top-rated tech content with a free trial.
Free individual trial
Free team trial
What You'll Learn
  • Fundamentals of REST architecture and principles
  • Strategies for effective API testing and security implementation
  • Best practices in RESTful API development
  • Techniques for clear and comprehensive API documentation
  • API versioning strategies and their implementation
  • Practical skills in implementing REST APIs using Node.js
  • Designing APIs for microservices architecture
  • Introduction to GraphQL and its advantages in API design
  • Basics of Protocol Buffers and gRPC
  • Advanced API design concepts and industry best practices
Prerequisites
  • Basic understanding of web development concepts
  • Familiarity with at least one programming language (preferably JavaScript)
  • Understanding of HTTP and client-server communication
  • Basic knowledge of database concepts
  • Familiarity with JSON and XML data formats
Related topics
  • microservices
  • GraphQL
  • ProtoBuf
  • gRPC
Not sure where to start?
With over 500 assessments to choose from, you can see where your skills stand and receive adaptive learning recommendations to fill knowledge gaps in as little as 10 minutes.
Learn more
Learn with the best
Markus Neuhoff
Markus Neuhoff
Markus is enthusiastic about using technology to solve problems and sharing that knowledge with others. After nearly a decade of .NET development, Markus made the transition to leadership, providing mentorship and technical guidance to a large team. Additionally, he continues to bridge the gap between technologists and business stakeholders. Leveraging a broad background in a variety of industries including Healthcare, Public Safety, and Higher Education, he is able to assess technology’s true i...
Shawn Wildermuth
Shawn Wildermuth
Shawn Wildermuth has been tinkering with computers and software since he got a Vic-20 back in the early ‘80s. As a Microsoft MVP since 2003, he’s also involved with Microsoft as an ASP.NET Insider and ClientDev Insider. He’s authored eight books and innumerable articles on software development. You can also see him at one of the local and international conferences he’s spoken at including TechEd, Oredev, SDC, NDC, VSLive, DevIntersection, MIX, Devteach, DevConnections and Dev Reach. He is one of...
Marko Vajs
Marko Vajs
Marko Vajs is a Lead QA Engineer and Pluralsight author with a decade of experience in software quality. He specializes in test strategy, automation architecture, CI/CD, performance testing, and building quality into the software development lifecycle from the start. Throughout his career, Marko has established automation projects, introduced quality initiatives, improved delivery processes, and mentored engineers across testing, development, and DevOps practices. His teaching covers Selenium, C...
Travis Thomsen
Travis Thomsen
I have over 23 years of experience as a Software Developer and DevOps Engineer. I am passionate about learning new technologies, methodologies, languages and automation. Specialties: Node.JS, Puppet, Configuration Management Continuous Integration and DevOps.
Amar
Amar
Amar is a seasoned software development architect with extensive experience in the financial industry, specializing in designing scalable applications. His strong interest in cloud technology drives him to continually learn, and he holds certifications from top cloud providers. A proponent of Agile development, Amar is also passionate about gadgets, motorcycles, and spending quality time with his children.
Michael Hoffman
Michael Hoffman
Michael is a Principal Architect at NVISIA. He's worked in technology for almost twenty-five years for a variety of clients across several different industries. He has a great passion for teaching and mentoring. His fifteen minutes of fame was reaching bucket number 3 on the Bozo Show. He has a bachelors degree in computer science and information systems from DePaul University and currently resides in the Chicago metropolitan area.
Eman Hassan
Eman Hassan
Eman Hassan brings extensive experience in engineering and leadership delivering AI driven products. With over 14 years of experience in software engineering, cloud computing, cybersecurity best practices, data engineering, and DevOps, she brings deep technical expertise and strategic insight to every project. Passionate about AI, mentorship, and continuous learning, Eman helps developers master emerging technologies and deliver impactful, real-world solutions.
James Millar
James Millar
James Millar is a freelance software development consultant based in Malmesbury, England who has worked for some of the world’s biggest brands. He started his career over a decade ago writing training materials for Microsoft and moved into industry to further develop his skills. Having worked for multiple industries including automotive and process automation has been fortunate enough to work on some major projects operating at global scale. He has a passion for back end services and infrastruct...
Esteban Herrera
Esteban Herrera
Esteban Herrera has more than fifteen years of experience in the software development industry. He has worked in many roles and projects, but mostly architecting and developing enterprise systems with Java and Javascript. Nowadays, he spends all of his time learning new things, writing articles, teaching programming, and enjoying his kids.
Mike VanSickle
Mike VanSickle
Michael VanSickle is an application architect in Akron, Ohio. He started his career as a mechanical engineer, designing components for the automotive industry, before changing to software engineering. He is passionate about learning new programming languages and is comfortable working in Java, C#, JavaScript, PHP, and F#. Mike also loves learning about user experience design and is taking a lead role in his company's attempt to make applications that are elegant and simple. When he is not w...
Edward Curren
Edward Curren
Ed graduated from the University of Dayton in 1995 with a BS in Computer Science and often wishes he could break the secrets of quantum physics to return to that time. Later Ed contracted with the Department of Homeland Security to be part of a team which built a counter-terrorism system before moving on to the FBI’s counter-intelligence division where he worked with the Advanced Concepts Unit building software solutions to address difficulties that the bureau faced. He decided to move back ...

Get started with Pluralsight

View individual plans View team plans
Related Pages