Introduction to the WordPress REST API

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The WordPress REST API is a powerful tool that allows developers to access and manipulate WordPress data from external applications. In this blog post, we will explain what the WordPress REST API is and how you can use it to build custom integrations and applications with WordPress.

What is the WordPress REST API?

The WordPress REST API is a set of rules and conventions that allows developers to access WordPress data from external applications. It allows developers to create custom integrations with WordPress by creating, reading, updating, and deleting WordPress data such as posts, pages, users, and more.

The WordPress REST API is built on top of the WordPress core and follows the same coding standards and conventions. This means that it is easy to use for WordPress developers who are already familiar with the WordPress codebase.

How to use the WordPress REST API: create a post

To use the WordPress REST API, you must make HTTP requests to the WordPress site using the appropriate endpoints. Each endpoint corresponds to a specific WordPress resource, such as posts, pages, users, etc.

For example, to create a new post using the WordPress REST API, you would make a POST request to the /wp/v2/posts endpoint, passing the necessary data in the request body. Similarly, to update an existing post, you would make a PUT request to the same endpoint, passing the updated data in the request body.

At the end of the post, you will find an example of how you could create a new post using the WordPress REST API.

This code makes an HTTP POST request to the /wp/v2/posts endpoint, passing the post title, content, and status in the request body. If the request is successful, it outputs the title of the newly created post.

How to use the WordPress REST API: get a post

To retrieve a post using the WordPress REST API, you need to make a GET request to the /wp/v2/posts/{id} endpoint, where {id} is the ID of the post you want to retrieve. The request will return a JSON object containing the post data, which you can then parse and use in your application.

At the end of the post, you will find an example of how you could retrieve a post using the WordPress REST API.

This code makes an HTTP GET request to the /wp/v2/posts/123 endpoint, where 123 is the ID of the post you want to retrieve. If the request is successful, it outputs the title of the post.

In addition to the post ID, you can also specify other parameters in the request to filter and sort the posts that are returned. For example, you could use the per_page parameter to specify the number of posts to retrieve, or the orderby parameter to specify the field used to sort the posts.

For a full list of available parameters and how to use them, you can check out the WordPress REST API documentation. The documentation includes detailed information on all available parameters and how to use them to filter and sort the posts that are returned by the API.

Advanced use: create a custom endpoint

To create a custom endpoint with the WordPress REST API, you need to create a new class that extends the WP_REST_Controller class and register it with the WordPress API. The new class should define the routes and methods for your custom endpoint, and handle the request and response for each method.

At the end of the post, you will find an example of how you could create a custom endpoint that allows users to retrieve a list of posts by a specific author.

This code registers the custom Posts_By_Author_Controller class with the WordPress API, so that the routes and methods defined in the class are available to be used by the API.

To use the custom endpoint, you can make an HTTP GET request to the /wp/v2/posts/by_author/{author_id} endpoint, where {author_id} is the ID of the author whose posts you want to retrieve. The request will return a JSON object containing the posts written by the specified author.

For more information on how to create custom endpoints with the WordPress REST API, you can check out the official WordPress REST API documentation. The documentation includes detailed examples and explanations on how to create, register, and use custom endpoints with the WordPress API.

To sum up

The WordPress REST API is a powerful tool that allows developers to create custom integrations and applications with WordPress. It allows developers to access and manipulate WordPress data from external applications, using HTTP requests and the appropriate endpoints.

By using the WordPress REST API, developers can create custom applications that integrate with WordPress in new and innovative ways. For example, you could use the WordPress REST API to create a mobile app that allows users to publish posts or manage comments from their mobile devices. You could also use the API to create a custom dashboard that displays statistics and analytics data from your WordPress site.

To learn more about the WordPress REST API and how to use it, you can check out the official WordPress REST API documentation. The documentation includes a detailed reference of all available endpoints, as well as examples of how to use the API to create, read, update, and delete WordPress data.

In conclusion, the WordPress REST API is a valuable tool for WordPress developers who want to create custom integrations and applications with WordPress. By using the API, developers can access and manipulate WordPress data from external applications, creating new and innovative solutions that extend the capabilities of WordPress.

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