Understanding REST in Drupal: Acquia Certification Module 2.9

The article clarifies Drupal’s core REST architecture, including the REST and Serialization modules that enable JSON-based communication for external applications. REST allows external systems such as mobile apps or decoupled frontends — to read, create, and update content through HTTP requests. The article explains key concepts such as REST resources, HTTP methods, authentication types (including cookie-based and basic auth), and the role of permissions in securing endpoints.

Saroj highlights exam-relevant distinctions between REST and Views. REST is intended for external use, while Views is best for content presentation within Drupal. Other important topics include caching strategies for REST responses, serialisation formats like JSON and HAL, and how to avoid overengineering by choosing the simplest viable solution. The module reinforces Drupal’s configuration-first approach and urges developers to apply REST judiciously in real-world and certification scenarios.