APIonly
API-only refers to a software architectural approach where an application exposes its functionality exclusively through application programming interfaces, typically over HTTP, with data exchanged in JSON or XML. There is little or no server-side rendering of user interfaces, and clients such as web front-ends, mobile apps, or other services consume the API.
In an API-only design, the server is generally stateless, focuses on data and operations, and provides a
Common use cases include mobile backends, single-page applications, headless content management systems, and microservices architectures, where
Implementation choices include REST and GraphQL, OpenAPI specifications, rate limiting, caching, pagination, and standardized error handling.
Advantages include flexibility for multiple clients, easier scaling, and language-agnostic clients. Disadvantages include increased coordination for
Examples: Rails API mode (introduced in Rails 5) provides an API-only stack by default; other ecosystems such