What Is the WordPress REST API and How Do You Use It?

The WordPress REST API lets you interact with your WordPress site programmatically using JSON. It enables headless WordPress setups, mobile app integration, and custom front-end experiences. As of WordPress 5.0 the REST API is built into core and requires no additional plugins. I use the REST API for content automation across all my managed sites.

How Do You Make Your First REST API Request?

Navigate to https://yoursite.com/wp-json/wp/v2/posts to see your posts as JSON data. This endpoint returns post titles, content, dates, categories, and metadata in a structured format. Add /wp-json/wp/v2/pages for pages, /wp-json/wp/v2/categories for categories, and /wp-json/wp/v2/media for media items. No authentication is needed for GET requests. This is the most accessible way to understand what the REST API can do for your site.

How Do You Authenticate With the REST API for POST Requests?

Use Application Passwords (built into WordPress 5.6+) for basic authentication. Generate an application password from Users > Profile > Application Passwords. Use it as the password in standard HTTP Basic Auth. Example curl command: curl -X POST https://yoursite.com/wp-json/wp/v2/posts -u username:app_password -H “Content-Type: application/json” -d ‘{“title”:”My API Post”,”content”:”Content here”,”status”:”publish”}’. This is how I publish content programmatically. Learn WP-CLI in WP-CLI guide for alternative automation methods.