FastAPI & REST APIs
Build production-grade REST APIs with FastAPI and Python. HTTP fundamentals, CRUD, database integration, API design best practices, and full pytest test coverage.
Why learn FastAPI & REST APIs?
FastAPI has become one of the most widely used Python web frameworks, and REST API design is a skill that transfers to almost every backend job. FastAPI & REST APIs starts at HTTP fundamentals, the request-response cycle, methods, and status codes, then builds a complete, tested API from there.
It is 7 modules: HTTP fundamentals, FastAPI basics with path operations and Pydantic models, full CRUD operations with proper status codes, database integration with PostgreSQL and SQLAlchemy, advanced FastAPI covering background tasks, middleware, file uploads, and pagination, API design best practices, and testing with pytest's TestClient and fixtures.
Every module is practiced hands-on rather than building toward one capstone, though the skills here feed directly into the Backend Capstone track, where you build and deploy a complete API from scratch.
Who this course is for
- Python developers who want to build real, production-grade web APIs
- Backend developers moving from Flask or Django to FastAPI
- Anyone who has built an API that works but has never written a test for it
- Developers preparing for the Backend Capstone track
What you'll build and practice
- FastAPI path operations with Pydantic models and automatic interactive docs
- Full CRUD endpoints with correct status codes and error handling
- A database-backed API connected to PostgreSQL through SQLAlchemy
- Production features: background tasks, middleware, file uploads, and pagination
- A test suite for the API written with pytest and FastAPI's TestClient
What you'll learn
FastAPI & REST APIs is organized into 7 focused modules. By the end you'll be comfortable with:
- HTTP Fundamentals
- FastAPI Basics
- CRUD Operations
- Database Integration
- Advanced FastAPI
- API Design Best Practices
- API Testing with pytest
Course curriculum
33 lessons across 7 modules. Lessons marked Free preview are readable without an account.
Module 1. HTTP Fundamentals
Understand the request-response cycle, HTTP methods, status codes, and JSON — the building blocks of every web API.
- 10mThe Request-Response CycleFree preview
Understand how every HTTP API conversation works — from client to server and back.
- 10mHTTP MethodsFree preview
Learn how GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE map to CRUD operations on your API resources.
- 10mStatus Codes and Headers
Master the most important HTTP status codes and headers your API will use daily.
- 10mJSON and Query Parameters
Work with JSON request bodies and query parameters — the two ways clients send data to your API.
- 8mREST Principles
Understand the REST constraints that make APIs predictable, scalable, and universally understandable.
Module 2. FastAPI Basics
Build your first FastAPI application with path operations, Pydantic models, and automatic docs.
- 10mYour First FastAPI App
Install FastAPI, write your first route, and run a live API in minutes.
- 12mPydantic Request and Response Models
Use Pydantic models to validate request bodies and shape API responses automatically.
- 12mQuery Parameters and Dependency Injection
Declare query parameters with type hints and use FastAPI's dependency injection for reusable logic.
- 10mError Handling with HTTPException
Return meaningful error responses using HTTPException and custom exception handlers.
- 8mOpenAPI and Automatic Documentation
Understand how FastAPI generates OpenAPI specs and use the Swagger UI to test your API.
Module 3. CRUD Operations
Build complete Create, Read, Update, Delete operations with proper status codes and error handling.
- 12mGET: List and Item Endpoints
Build GET endpoints that return paginated collections and individual resources by ID.
- 12mPOST: Creating Resources
Build POST endpoints that validate input, create resources, and return the correct 201 status.
- 12mPUT and PATCH: Updating Resources
Implement full replacement (PUT) and partial update (PATCH) with proper validation.
- 10mDELETE and Response Patterns
Implement DELETE endpoints and establish consistent response patterns across your API.
- 8mIn-Memory Store Patterns
Use in-memory dicts to prototype your API before connecting a real database.
Module 4. Database Integration
Connect FastAPI to PostgreSQL using SQLAlchemy — replace the in-memory store with a real database.
- 12mSQLAlchemy Session Setup
Configure SQLAlchemy to connect FastAPI to PostgreSQL with a proper session dependency.
- 12mCRUD with SQLAlchemy
Replace in-memory dict operations with real SQLAlchemy database queries.
- 10mDatabase Error Handling
Handle common database errors — unique constraints, not-found, and connection issues — gracefully.
- 12mSQLAlchemy Relationships
Define one-to-many and many-to-many relationships between models and query across them.
- 10mA Complete FastAPI + DB Route
Put it all together — a production-ready FastAPI route connected to PostgreSQL.
Module 5. Advanced FastAPI
Background tasks, middleware, file uploads, pagination, and production project structure.
- 10mBackground Tasks and Middleware
Run tasks after the response (emails, notifications) and add cross-cutting logic with middleware.
- 10mFile Uploads and Pagination
Handle file uploads with UploadFile and implement cursor-based or offset pagination.
- 8mProduction Project Structure
Organise a FastAPI project with routers, CRUD layers, and configuration for production deployment.
- 8mRate Limiting and Performance Tips
Protect your API from abuse with rate limiting and improve performance with async endpoints.
Module 6. API Design Best Practices
Design APIs that are intuitive, versioned, documented, and consistent — the skills that separate junior from senior engineers.
- 10mNaming Conventions and Versioning
Apply consistent REST naming conventions and version your API for long-term compatibility.
- 10mAPI Documentation Standards
Write self-documenting APIs with rich OpenAPI specs that frontend teams and third-party developers love.
- 10mFiltering, Sorting, and Searching
Design query parameters for filtering, sorting, and full-text search in list endpoints.
- 8mAPI Design Review and Checklist
Review an API design with a professional checklist — catch problems before they reach production.
Module 7. API Testing with pytest
Write comprehensive API tests using FastAPI's TestClient, pytest fixtures, and test database patterns.
- 12mFastAPI TestClient
Use FastAPI's built-in TestClient to write HTTP-level tests without a running server.
- 12mTest Database Fixtures
Set up an isolated test database that's created fresh for each test and torn down after.
- 10mTesting Complete CRUD Flows
Write end-to-end tests that cover create, read, update, and delete flows with data assertions.
- 10mFixtures and Parametrize
Use pytest fixtures for test setup and parametrize to test many cases without code duplication.
- 10mTest Coverage and Running in CI
Measure test coverage with pytest-cov and run your test suite automatically in GitHub Actions CI.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need Database Design & ORMs finished before this course?
- Not strictly. Module 4 here, Database Integration, teaches enough SQLAlchemy to connect a FastAPI app to PostgreSQL. Database Design & ORMs goes considerably deeper on schema design, migrations, and caching if you want that first, but it is not a hard prerequisite.
- Does this course use PostgreSQL, or an in-memory store the whole way through?
- Both, on purpose. The first three modules build CRUD operations against an in-memory store so the API concepts stay in focus, then Module 4 replaces it with a real PostgreSQL database, which is closer to how projects actually evolve.
- Is API testing actually covered, or just building the endpoints?
- It has its own module. Module 7 covers FastAPI's TestClient, pytest fixtures, and test database patterns, so you finish able to write real automated tests for an API, not just click through the docs page manually.
- How does FastAPI compare to Flask or Django for someone starting fresh?
- The course does not require prior Flask or Django experience. FastAPI's automatic validation through Pydantic models and its automatic interactive docs are covered as first-class features from Module 2 onward, which is where it differs most from older Python frameworks.
- What comes after this course if I want to deploy something real?
- Docker & Deployment teaches containerizing and shipping a Python app, and Backend Capstone puts FastAPI, database design, auth, and Docker together into one complete, deployed, portfolio-ready project.
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