API Design Guidance: Long-Running Background Jobs

The article explores strategies for designing REST-based APIs to handle long-running background jobs efficiently, addressing challenges such as resource consumption and potential connection issues. It emphasizes the use of the HTTP 202 Accepted response code to inform clients that a request is being processed asynchronously, directing them to a specific URL for status updates. The piece also discusses alternatives to constant polling, like Webhooks, server-sent events, and WebSockets, which can notify clients when a job is complete. By implementing these techniques, developers can prevent resource overload and ensure smoother API operations, particularly when dealing with unpredictable processing times caused by legacy systems or third-party integrations.