REST APIs - lesson 8 | HackIndia Skills

Key point

One repo test

A good API repo passes one test: can a teammate clone it, run it, and call one endpoint in under 10 minutes.

Do not make the reviewer guess ports, env names, seed data, or example requests. Put the path in the repo.

What to ship

Your project is not only server code. It is a small product package. The repo should prove that your API works and that your design is clear.

Keep it simple. A Node, Python, Java, or Go API is fine. Use free tools. The important part is that the repo is public, runnable, and documented.

Your to-do

Repo checklist

Do each one yourself, then tap it to tick it off. The ticks are only a checklist for you: they are not marked or scored.

Add a README with setup, run command, base URL, and API examples.
Add docs that show URLs, methods, status codes, request bodies, response bodies, errors, and pagination or filtering.
Add versioning in the URL or routing, such as /api/v1/tasks.
Add seed data or clear instructions to create test data.
Add a smoke test command or curl file so a teammate can verify the API quickly.

0 of 5 done

Example

README starter

Use this as a minimum README shape. Edit names, commands, and endpoints for your API.

# Campus Tasks API

A small REST API for managing campus club tasks.

## Run locally

1. Install dependencies
   npm install

2. Copy env file
   cp .env.example .env

3. Start the server
   npm run dev

Base URL: http://localhost:3000/api/v1

## Try it

List tasks with pagination:
curl "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/tasks?page=1&limit=5"

Create a task:
curl -X POST "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/tasks" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"title":"Book seminar hall","dueDate":"2026-02-10"}'

## Example error

Request:
POST /api/v1/tasks
{}

Response: 400 Bad Request
{
  "error": {
    "code": "VALIDATION_ERROR",
    "message": "title is required"
  }
}

Tip

Use AI carefully

Ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude to review your README as a new teammate. Paste your README and ask: “Can you run and call this API from a fresh clone? What is missing?”

Check the answer yourself. AI may assume scripts or files that do not exist. Only keep suggestions that match your actual repo.

Common mistake

Common shipping mistakes

Many good APIs lose points because the repo is hard to run. A reviewer should not need to DM you for the port, database setup, or sample request.

Do not only upload screenshots or a Postman collection. Your public repo must contain working code and clear written docs.