---
title: REST API
label: Overview
order: 10
desc: Payload generates a fully functional REST API from your Collection and Global configs.
keywords: rest, api, documentation, Content Management System, cms, headless, javascript, node, react, express
---

<Banner>
  A fully functional REST API is automatically generated from your Collection and Global configs.
</Banner>

All Payload API routes are mounted prefixed to your config's `routes.api` URL segment (default: `/api`).

**REST query parameters:**

- [depth](/docs/getting-started/concepts#depth) - automatically populates relationships and uploads
- [locale](/docs/configuration/localization#retrieving-localized-docs) - retrieves document(s) in a specific locale
- [fallback-locale](/docs/configuration/localization#retrieving-localized-docs) - specifies a fallback locale if no locale value exists

## Collections

Each collection is mounted using its `slug` value. For example, if a collection's slug is `users`, all corresponding routes will be mounted on `/api/users`.

**All CRUD operations are exposed as follows:**

| Method   | Path                        | Description                            |
| -------- | --------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| `GET`    | `/api/{collectionSlug}`     | Find paginated documents               |
| `GET`    | `/api/{collectionSlug}/:id` | Find a specific document by ID         |
| `POST`   | `/api/{collectionSlug}`     | Create a new document                  |
| `PUT`    | `/api/{collectionSlug}/:id` | Update a document by ID                |
| `DELETE` | `/api/{collectionSlug}/:id` | Delete an existing document by ID      |

##### Additional `find` query parameters

The `find` endpoint supports the following additional query parameters:

- [sort](/docs/queries/overview#sort) - sort by field
- [where](/docs/queries/overview) - pass a `where` query to constrain returned documents
- [limit](/docs/queries/pagination#pagination-controls) - limit the returned documents to a certain number
- [page](/docs/queries/pagination#pagination-controls) - get a specific page of documents

## Auth Operations

Auth enabled collections are also given the following endpoints:

| Method   | Path                        | Description |
| -------- | --------------------------- | ----------- |
| `POST`   | `/api/{collectionSlug}/verify/:token`   | [Email verification](/docs/authentication/operations#verify-by-email), if enabled. |
| `POST`   | `/api/{collectionSlug}/unlock`          | [Unlock a user's account](/docs/authentication/operations#unlock), if enabled. |
| `POST`   | `/api/{collectionSlug}/login`           | [Logs in](/docs/authentication/operations#login) a user with email / password. |
| `POST`   | `/api/{collectionSlug}/logout`          | [Logs out](/docs/authentication/operations#logout) a user. |
| `POST`   | `/api/{collectionSlug}/refresh-token`   | [Refreshes a token](/docs/authentication/operations#refresh) that has not yet expired. |
| `GET`    | `/api/{collectionSlug}/me`              | [Returns the currently logged in user with token](/docs/authentication/operations#me). |
| `POST`   | `/api/{collectionSlug}/forgot-password` | [Password reset workflow](/docs/authentication/operations#forgot-password) entry point. |
| `POST`   | `/api/{collectionSlug}/reset-password`  | [To reset the user's password](/docs/authentication/operations#reset-password). |

## Globals

Globals cannot be created or deleted, so there are only two REST endpoints opened:

| Method   | Path                        | Description             |
| -------- | --------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| `GET`    | `/api/globals/{globalSlug}` | Get a global by slug    |
| `POST`   | `/api/globals/{globalSlug}` | Update a global by slug |

## Preferences

In addition to the dynamically generated endpoints above Payload also has REST endpoints to manage the admin user [preferences](/docs/admin/overview#preferences) for data specific to the authenticated user.

| Method   | Path                        | Description             |
| -------- | --------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| `GET`    | `/api/_preferences/{key}` | Get a preference by key   |
| `POST`   | `/api/_preferences/{key}` | Create or update by key   |
| `DELETE` | `/api/_preferences/{key}` | Delete a user preference by key |

## Custom Endpoints

Additional REST API endpoints can be added to `collections` and `globals` by providing array of `endpoints` in the configuration. These can be used to write additional middleware on existing routes or build custom functionality into Payload apps and plugins.

Each endpoint object needs to have:

| Property   | Description                               |
| ---------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| **`path`**     | A string for the endpoint route after the collection or globals slug |
| **`method`**   | The lowercase HTTP verb to use: 'get', 'head', 'post', 'put', 'delete', 'connect' or 'options' |
| **`handler`**  | A function or array of functions to be called with **req**, **res** and **next** arguments. [Express](https://expressjs.com/en/guide/routing.html#route-handlers) |

Example:

```js

// a collection of 'orders' with an additional route for tracking details, reachable at /api/orders/:id/tracking
const Orders = {
	slug: 'orders',
	fields: [ /* ... */ ],
  // highlight-start
  endpoints: [
    {
      path: '/:id/tracking',
      method: 'get',
      handler: async (req, res, next) => {
        const tracking = await getTrackingInfo(req.params.id);
        if (tracking) {
          res.status('200').send({ tracking });
        } else {
          res.status('404').send({ error: 'not found' });
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  // highlight-end
}
```

<Banner>
  <strong>Note:</strong><br/>
  **req** will have the **payload** object and can be used inside your endpoint handlers for making calls like req.payload.find() that will make use of access control and hooks.
</Banner>