Richardson Maturity Model
Tags: rest, api, designpatterns
Published: 2023-02-03 02:29:00

The Richardson Maturity Model is a widely used framework for assessing the maturity of RESTful APIs. Developed by Leonard Richardson, this model outlines four levels of maturity in REST API design, ranging from level 0 to level 3. Each level represents a progression of understanding and implementation of RESTful principles and provides a roadmap for developing high-quality, scalable APIs.

**Level 0:** Resource-Oriented URI At this level, REST APIs focus on mapping HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to CRUD operations on resources. The resources are identified by URIs and are typically returned in a simple format such as JSON or XML.

_Example:_ A simple e-commerce website that exposes product information via a REST API might have a URI of /products that map to a GET request to retrieve a list of all products.

**Level 1:** HTTP Verbs At this level, REST APIs use the full range of HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.) to handle the different types of CRUD operations. This level supports partial updates (PATCH) and non-idempotent methods (POST).

_Example:_ An e-commerce website that implements level 1 of the Richardson Maturity Model might have a URI of /products/{id} that maps to a PUT request to update a single product, or a DELETE request to delete a product.

**Level 2:** Hypermedia Controls At this level, REST APIs provide hypermedia controls (HATEOAS) in the response body to guide clients through the API. The response body includes links to related resources and actions that can be performed on the resource. This level of maturity adds discoverability and scalability to the API.

_Example:_ An e-commerce website that implements level 2 of the Richardson Maturity Model might include links in the response body to related resources such as a product's reviews or a list of related products. The client can then use these links to navigate the API without knowing the exact URIs beforehand.

**Level 3:** Domain-Specific Protocol At this level, REST APIs implement a domain-specific protocol with custom media types and standard actions. This level of maturity adds consistency and predictability to the API, allowing clients to interact with the API predictably and consistently.

_Example:_ A financial services company might implement a level 3 REST API for handling financial transactions. This API might define custom media types for financial transactions and standard actions such as "approve" or "decline."

By following the guidelines of the Richardson Maturity Model, developers can create REST APIs that are more consistent, scalable, and maintainable, making it easier for clients to interact with their services. Here's an example of how a REST API that implements Level 3 of the Richardson Maturity Model might look:

```json
GET /products

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "products": [
    {
      "id": 123,
      "name": "Example Product",
      "price": 99.99,
      "_links": {
        "self": "/products/123",
        "reviews": "/products/123/reviews",
        "ratings": "/products/123/ratings"
      }
    }
  ]
}
```

In this example, the API returns a list of products along with links to related resources such as "reviews" and "ratings." The client can use these links to perform additional actions on the related resources,

In conclusion, the Richardson Maturity Model provides a roadmap for developing high-quality, scalable REST APIs. By following the principles outlined in this model, organizations can create APIs that are easier to consume and maintain, providing a better user experience for API consumers.