---
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, nextjs
---

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

The REST API is a fully functional HTTP client that allows you to interact with your Documents in a RESTful manner. It supports all CRUD operations and is equipped with automatic pagination, depth, and sorting.
All Payload API routes are mounted and prefixed to your config's `routes.api` URL segment (default: `/api`).

**REST query parameters:**

- [depth](../queries/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
- [select](../queries/select) - specifies which fields to include to the result
- [populate](../queries/select#populate) - specifies which fields to include to the result from populated documents
- [limit](../queries/pagination#pagination-controls) - limits the number of documents returned
- [page](../queries/pagination#pagination-controls) - specifies which page to get documents from when used with a limit
- [sort](../queries/sort#rest-api) - specifies the field(s) to use to sort the returned documents by
- [where](../queries/overview) - specifies advanced filters to use to query documents
- [joins](/docs/fields/join#rest-api) - specifies the custom request for each join field by name of the field

## 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`.

Note: Collection slugs must be formatted in kebab-case

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

<RestExamples
  data={[
    {
      operation: "Find",
      method: "GET",
      path: "/api/{collection-slug}",
      description: "Find paginated documents",
      example: {
        slug: "getCollection",
        req: true,
        res: {
          paginated: true,
          data: {
            id: "644a5c24cc1383022535fc7c",
            title: "Home",
            content: "REST API examples",
            slug: "home",
            createdAt: "2023-04-27T11:27:32.419Z",
            updatedAt: "2023-04-27T11:27:32.419Z",
          },
        },
        drawerContent: `
#### 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
  `
  },
  },
  {
  operation: "Find By ID",
  method: "GET",
  path: "/api/{collection-slug}/{id}",
  description: "Find a specific document by ID",
  example: {
  slug: "findByID",
  req: true,
  res: {
  id: "644a5c24cc1383022535fc7c",
  title: "Home",
  content: "REST API examples",
  slug: "home",
  createdAt: "2023-04-27T11:27:32.419Z",
  updatedAt: "2023-04-27T11:27:32.419Z",
  },
  },
  },
  {
  operation: "Count",
  method: "GET",
  path: "/api/{collection-slug}/count",
  description: "Count the documents",
  example: {
  slug: "count",
  req: true,
  res: {
  totalDocs: 10
  },
  },
  },
  {
  operation: "Create",
  method: "POST",
  path: "/api/{collection-slug}",
  description: "Create a new document",
  example: {
  slug: "createDocument",
  req: {
  credentials: true,
  headers: true,
  body: {
  title: "New page",
  content: "Here is some content",
  },
  },
  res: {
  message: "Page successfully created.",
  doc: {
  id: "644ba34c86359864f9535932",
  title: "New page",
  content: "Here is some content",
  slug: "new-page",
  createdAt: "2023-04-28T10:43:24.466Z",
  updatedAt: "2023-04-28T10:43:24.466Z",
  },
  },
  },
  },
  {
  operation: "Update",
  method: "PATCH",
  path: "/api/{collection-slug}",
  description: "Update all documents matching the where query",
  example: {
  slug: "updateDocument",
  req: {
  credentials: true,
  query: true,
  headers: true,
  body: {
  title: "I have been updated!",
  },
  },
  res: {
  docs: [
  {
  id: "644ba34c86359864f9535932",
  title: "I have been updated!",
  content: "Here is some content",
  slug: "new-page",
  createdAt: "2023-04-28T10:43:24.466Z",
  updatedAt: "2023-04-28T10:45:23.724Z",
  },
  ],
  errors: [],
  },
  },
  },
  {
  operation: "Update By ID",
  method: "PATCH",
  path: "/api/{collection-slug}/{id}",
  description: "Update a document by ID",
  example: {
  slug: "updateDocumentByID",
  req: {
  credentials: true,
  headers: true,
  body: {
  title: "I have been updated by ID!",
  categories: "example-uuid",
  tags: {
  relationTo: "location",
  value: "another-example-uuid",
  },
  },
  },
  res: {
  message: "Updated successfully.",
  doc: {
  id: "644a5c24cc1383022535fc7c",
  title: "I have been updated by ID!",
  content: "REST API examples",
  categories: {
  id: "example-uuid",
  name: "Test Category",
  },
  tags: [
  {
  relationTo: "location",
  value: {
  id: "another-example-uuid",
  name: "Test Location",
  },
  },
  ],
  slug: "home",
  createdAt: "2023-04-27T11:27:32.419Z",
  updatedAt: "2023-04-28T10:47:59.259Z",
  },
  },
  },
  },
  {
  operation: "Delete",
  method: "DELETE",
  path: "/api/{collection-slug}",
  description: "Delete all documents matching the where query",
  example: {
  slug: "deleteDocuments",
  req: {
  credentials: true,
  query: true,
  headers: true,
  },
  res: {
  docs: [
  {
  id: "644ba4cf86359864f953594b",
  title: "New page",
  content: "Here is some content",
  slug: "new-page",
  createdAt: "2023-04-28T10:49:51.359Z",
  updatedAt: "2023-04-28T10:49:51.359Z",
  },
  ],
  errors: [],
  },
  },
  },
  {
  operation: "Delete by ID",
  method: "DELETE",
  path: "/api/{collection-slug}/{id}",
  description: "Delete an existing document by ID",
  example: {
  slug: "deleteByID",
  req: {
  credentials: true,
  headers: true,
  },
  res: {
  id: "644ba51786359864f9535954",
  title: "New page",
  content: "Here is some content",
  slug: "new-page",
  createdAt: "2023-04-28T10:51:03.028Z",
  updatedAt: "2023-04-28T10:51:03.028Z",
  },
  },
  },

]}
/>

## Auth Operations

Auth enabled collections are also given the following endpoints:

<RestExamples
  data={[
    {
      operation: "Login",
      method: "POST",
      path: "/api/{user-collection}/login",
      description: "Logs in a user with email / password",
      example: {
        slug: "login",
        req: {
          credentials: true,
          headers: true,
          body: {
            email: "dev@payloadcms.com",
            password: "password",
          },
        },
        res: {
          message: "Auth Passed",
          user: {
            id: "644b8453cd20c7857da5a9b0",
            email: "dev@payloadcms.com",
            _verified: true,
            createdAt: "2023-04-28T08:31:15.788Z",
            updatedAt: "2023-04-28T11:11:03.716Z",
          },
          token: "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9",
          exp: 1682689147,
        },
      },
    },
    {
      operation: "Logout",
      method: "POST",
      path: "/api/{user-collection}/logout",
      description: "Logs out a user",
      example: {
        slug: "logout",
        req: {
          headers: true,
          credentials: true,
        },
        res: {
          message: "You have been logged out successfully.",
        },
      },
    },
    {
      operation: "Unlock",
      method: "POST",
      path: "/api/{user-collection}/unlock",
      description: "Unlock a user account",
      example: {
        slug: "unlockCollection",
        req: {
          credentials: true,
          headers: true,
          body: {
            email: "dev@payloadcms.com",
          },
        },
        res: {
          message: "Success",
        },
      },
    },
    {
      operation: "Refresh",
      method: "POST",
      path: "/api/{user-collection}/refresh-token",
      description: "Refreshes a token that has not yet expired",
      example: {
        slug: "refreshToken",
        req: {
          credentials: true,
          headers: true,
        },
        res: {
          message: "Token refresh successful",
          refreshedToken: "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9",
          exp: 1682689362,
          user: {
            email: "dev@payloadcms.com",
            id: "644b8453cd20c7857da5a9b0",
            collection: "users",
          },
        },
      },
    },
    {
      operation: "Verify User",
      method: "POST",
      path: "/api/{user-collection}/verify/{token}",
      description: "User verification",
      example: {
        slug: "verifyUser",
        req: {
          credentials: true,
          headers: true,
        },
        res: {
          message: "Email verified successfully.",
        },
      },
    },
    {
      operation: "Current User",
      method: "GET",
      path: "/api/{user-collection}/me",
      description: "Returns the currently logged in user with token",
      example: {
        slug: "currentUser",
        req: {
          credentials: true,
          headers: true,
        },
        res: {
          user: {
            id: "644b8453cd20c7857da5a9b0",
            email: "dev@payloadcms.com",
            _verified: true,
            createdAt: "2023-04-28T08:31:15.788Z",
            updatedAt: "2023-04-28T11:45:23.926Z",
            _strategy: "local-jwt",
          },
          collection: "users",
          token: "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9",
          exp: 1682689523,
        },
      },
    },
    {
      operation: "Forgot Password",
      method: "POST",
      path: "/api/{user-collection}/forgot-password",
      description: "Password reset workflow entry point",
      example: {
        slug: "forgotPassword",
        req: {
          headers: true,
          credentials: true,
          body: {
            email: "dev@payloadcms.com",
          },
        },
        res: {
          message: "Success",
        },
      },
    },
    {
      operation: "Reset Password",
      method: "POST",
      path: "/api/{user-collection}/reset-password",
      description: "Reset user password",
      example: {
        slug: "resetPassword",
        req: {
          credentials: true,
          headers: true,
          body: {
            token: "7eac3830ffcfc7f9f66c00315dabeb11575dba91",
            password: "newPassword",
          },
        },
        res: {
          message: "Password reset successfully.",
          token: "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9",
          user: {
            id: "644baa473ea9538765cc30fc",
            email: "dev@payloadcms.com",
            _verified: true,
            createdAt: "2023-04-28T11:13:11.569Z",
            updatedAt: "2023-04-28T11:49:23.860Z",
          },
        },
      },
    },

]}
/>

## Globals

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

<RestExamples
  data={[
    {
      operation: 'Get Global',
      method: 'GET',
      path: '/api/globals/{global-slug}',
      description: 'Get a global by slug',
      example: {
        slug: 'getGlobal',
        req: {
          credentials: true,
          headers: true,
        },
        res: {
          announcement: 'Here is an announcement!',
          globalType: 'announcement',
          createdAt: '2023-04-28T08:53:56.066Z',
          updatedAt: '2023-04-28T08:53:56.066Z',
          id: '644b89a496c64a833fe579c9',
        },
      },
    },
    {
      operation: 'Update Global',
      method: 'POST',
      path: '/api/globals/{global-slug}',
      description: 'Update a global by slug',
      example: {
        slug: 'updateGlobal',
        req: {
          headers: true,
          credentials: true,
          body: {
            announcement: 'Paging Doctor Scrunt',
          },
        },
        res: {
          announcement: 'Paging Doctor Scrunt',
          globalType: 'announcement',
          createdAt: '2023-04-28T08:53:56.066Z',
          updatedAt: '2023-04-28T08:53:56.066Z',
          id: '644b89a496c64a833fe579c9',
        },
      },
    },
  ]}
/>

## Preferences

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

<RestExamples
  data={[
    {
      operation: 'Get Preference',
      method: 'GET',
      path: '/api/payload-preferences/{key}',
      description: 'Get a preference by key',
      example: {
        slug: 'getPreference',
        req: {
          headers: true,
          credentials: true,
        },
        res: {
          _id: '644bb7a8307b3d363c6edf2c',
          key: 'region',
          user: '644b8453cd20c7857da5a9b0',
          userCollection: 'users',
          __v: 0,
          createdAt: '2023-04-28T12:10:16.689Z',
          updatedAt: '2023-04-28T12:10:16.689Z',
          value: 'Europe/London',
        },
      },
    },
    {
      operation: 'Create Preference',
      method: 'POST',
      path: '/api/payload-preferences/{key}',
      description: 'Create or update a preference by key',
      example: {
        slug: 'createPreference',
        req: {
          headers: true,
          credentials: true,
          body: {
            value: 'Europe/London',
          },
        },
        res: {
          message: 'Updated successfully.',
          doc: {
            user: '644b8453cd20c7857da5a9b0',
            key: 'region',
            userCollection: 'users',
            value: 'Europe/London',
          },
        },
      },
    },
    {
      operation: 'Delete Preference',
      method: 'DELETE',
      path: '/api/payload-preferences/{key}',
      description: 'Delete a preference by key',
      example: {
        slug: 'deletePreference',
        req: {
          headers: true,
        },
        res: {
          message: 'deletedSuccessfully',
        },
      },
    },
  ]}
/>

## Custom Endpoints

Additional REST API endpoints can be added to your application by providing an array of `endpoints` in various places within a Payload Config. Custom endpoints are useful for adding additional middleware on existing routes or for building custom functionality into Payload apps and plugins. Endpoints can be added at the top of the Payload Config, `collections`, and `globals` and accessed respective of the api and slugs you have configured.

<Banner type="warning">
  Custom endpoints are not authenticated by default. You are responsible for
  securing your own endpoints.
</Banner>

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 that accepts **req** - `PayloadRequest` object which contains [Web Request](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Request) properties, currently authenticated `user` and the Local API instance `payload`.                          |
| **`root`**    | When `true`, defines the endpoint on the root Next.js app, bypassing Payload handlers and the `routes.api` subpath. Note: this only applies to top-level endpoints of your Payload Config, endpoints defined on `collections` or `globals` cannot be root. |
| **`custom`**  | Extension point for adding custom data (e.g. for plugins)                                                                                                                                                                                                  |

Example:

```ts
import type { CollectionConfig } from 'payload'

// a collection of 'orders' with an additional route for tracking details, reachable at /api/orders/:id/tracking
export const Orders: CollectionConfig = {
  slug: 'orders',
  fields: [
    /* ... */
  ],
  // highlight-start
  endpoints: [
    {
      path: '/:id/tracking',
      method: 'get',
      handler: async (req) => {
        const tracking = await getTrackingInfo(req.routeParams.id)

        if (!tracking) {
          return Response.json({ error: 'not found' }, { status: 404 })
        }

        return Response.json({
          message: `Hello ${req.routeParams.name as string} @ ${req.routeParams.group as string}`,
        })
      },
    },
    {
      path: '/:id/tracking',
      method: 'post',
      handler: async (req) => {
        // `data` is not automatically appended to the request
        // if you would like to read the body of the request
        // you can use `data = await req.json()`
        const data = await req.json()
        await req.payload.update({
          collection: 'tracking',
          data: {
            // data to update the document with
          },
        })
        return Response.json({
          message: 'successfully updated tracking info',
        })
      },
    },
    {
      path: '/:id/forbidden',
      method: 'post',
      handler: async (req) => {
        // this is an example of an authenticated endpoint
        if (!req.user) {
          return Response.json({ error: 'forbidden' }, { status: 403 })
        }

        // do something

        return Response.json({
          message: 'successfully updated tracking info',
        })
      },
    },
  ],
  // highlight-end
}
```

<Banner>
  **Note:** **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](../access-control/overview) and
  [Hooks](../hooks/overview).
</Banner>

#### Helpful tips

`req.data`

Data is not automatically appended to the request. You can read the body data by calling `await req.json()`.

Or you could use our helper function that mutates the request and appends data and file if found.

```ts
import { addDataAndFileToRequest } from 'payload'

// custom endpoint example
{
  path: '/:id/tracking',
  method: 'post',
  handler: async (req) => {
    await addDataAndFileToRequest(req)
    await req.payload.update({
      collection: 'tracking',
      data: {
        // data to update the document with
      }
    })
    return Response.json({
      message: 'successfully updated tracking info'
    })
  }
}
```

`req.locale` & `req.fallbackLocale`

The locale and the fallback locale are not automatically appended to custom endpoint requests. If you would like to add them you can use this helper function.

```ts
import { addLocalesToRequestFromData } from 'payload'

// custom endpoint example
{
  path: '/:id/tracking',
  method: 'post',
  handler: async (req) => {
    await addLocalesToRequestFromData(req)
    // you now can access req.locale & req.fallbackLocale
    return Response.json({ message: 'success' })
  }
}
```

`headersWithCors`

By default, custom endpoints don't handle CORS headers in responses. The `headersWithCors` function checks the Payload config and sets the appropriate CORS headers in the response accordingly.

```ts
import { headersWithCors } from 'payload'

// custom endpoint example
{
  path: '/:id/tracking',
  method: 'post',
  handler: async (req) => {
    return Response.json(
      { message: 'success' },
      {
        headers: headersWithCors({
          headers: new Headers(),
          req,
        })
      },
    )
  }
}
```

## Method Override for GET Requests

Payload supports a method override feature that allows you to send GET requests using the HTTP POST method. This can be particularly useful in scenarios when the query string in a regular GET request is too long.

### How to Use

To use this feature, include the `X-HTTP-Method-Override` header set to `GET` in your POST request. The parameters should be sent in the body of the request with the `Content-Type` set to `application/x-www-form-urlencoded`.

### Example

Here is an example of how to use the method override to perform a GET request:

#### Using Method Override (POST)

```ts
const res = await fetch(`${api}/${collectionSlug}`, {
  method: 'POST',
  credentials: 'include',
  headers: {
    'Accept-Language': i18n.language,
    'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
    'X-HTTP-Method-Override': 'GET',
  },
  body: qs.stringify({
    depth: 1,
    locale: 'en',
  }),
})
```

#### Equivalent Regular GET Request

```ts
const res = await fetch(`${api}/${collectionSlug}?depth=1&locale=en`, {
  method: 'GET',
  credentials: 'include',
  headers: {
    'Accept-Language': i18n.language,
  },
})
```
