Build a REST API using Node.js, Express & MongoDB | CRUD API with Authentication

Building a REST API using Node.js, Express, and MongoDB is a powerful and flexible way to create a backend for your web or mobile applications. In this tutorial, we will learn how to create a CRUD API with authentication using these technologies.

Prerequisites

• Node.js and npm installed on your machine
• Basic knowledge of JavaScript and Node.js
• Basic understanding of RESTful APIs
• Knowledge of MongoDB and how to interact with it using Mongoose

Step 1: Setting up the project

First, create a new directory for your project and run npm init to initialize a new Node.js project. Then, install the necessary packages using npm install express mongoose bcrypt jsonwebtoken.

Step 2: Creating the Express app

Create a new file, for example app.js, and initialize an Express app. Set up the routes for handling CRUD operations on your resources, such as GET for fetching data, POST for creating new data, PUT for updating existing data, and DELETE for removing data.

Step 3: Connecting to MongoDB

Use Mongoose to connect your Express app to a MongoDB database. Define a schema for your resources and create models to interact with the database.

Step 4: Adding authentication

Implement user authentication using JWT (JSON Web Tokens). Create routes for user registration, login, and authentication middleware to protect your API endpoints.

Step 5: Testing the API

Use tools like Postman or a web browser to test your API endpoints. Ensure that you can perform CRUD operations on your resources and that authentication works as expected.

Conclusion

Building a REST API with Node.js, Express, and MongoDB is a powerful way to create a backend for your applications. Adding authentication ensures that your API is secure and only accessible to authorized users. By following this tutorial, you should now have a working CRUD API with authentication that can be used as a backend for your web or mobile applications.