Building REST APIs with Django Rest Framework

Introduction

Building REST APIs efficiently is a critical skill for modern backend developers. Python’s Django Rest Framework (DRF) makes it easier than ever to create secure, scalable, and maintainable APIs. DRF adds powerful tools—serializers, viewsets, routers, authentication, and permissions—on top of Django’s robust foundation. In this guide, we’ll walk through the core concepts, show practical examples, and help you understand why DRF is one of the most popular API frameworks in the Python ecosystem.

What Is Django Rest Framework?

Django Rest Framework (DRF) is a flexible and feature-rich toolkit for building Web APIs.

It provides:

• Automatic serialization and parsing
• Class-based views and viewsets
• Built-in authentication and permissions
• Browsable API interface
• Easy URL routing
• Excellent documentation DRF is built on Django, so you get the benefits of a full web framework (ORM, middleware, security) combined with API tooling.

Installing Django Rest Framework

Start by installing Django and DRF: bash pip install django djangorestframework

Add DRF to your Django project: python INSTALLED_APPS = [ 'django.contrib.admin', 'django.contrib.auth', 'django.contrib.contenttypes', 'django.contrib.sessions', 'django.contrib.messages', 'django.contrib.staticfiles', 'rest_framework', ]

DRF is now ready to use.

Creating Your First API Endpoint

Let’s build a simple “Article” API.

Step 1: Define a Django Model

from django.db import models

class Article(models.Model):
    title = models.CharField(max_length=200)
    content = models.TextField()
    published = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)

    def __str__(self):
        return self.title

Step 2: Create a Serializer

Serializers convert Django models to JSON and back.

from rest_framework import serializers
from .models import Article

class ArticleSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
    class Meta:
        model = Article
        fields = '__all__'

Step 3: Build a Viewset

Viewsets provide CRUD operations automatically.

from rest_framework import viewsets
from .models import Article
from .serializers import ArticleSerializer

class ArticleViewSet(viewsets.ModelViewSet):
    queryset = Article.objects.all()
    serializer_class = ArticleSerializer

Step 4: Configure URLs with Routers

Routers auto-generate API routes.

from django.urls import path, include
from rest_framework.routers import DefaultRouter
from .views import ArticleViewSet

router = DefaultRouter()
router.register(r'articles', ArticleViewSet)

urlpatterns = [
    path('api/', include(router.urls)),
]

Now you have a fully functional CRUD API with almost no boilerplate.

Authentication and Permissions

DRF includes powerful authentication systems:

• Token Authentication
• Session Authentication
• JWT Authentication (via djangorestframework-simplejwt)
• Custom auth backends Example using JWT: bash pip install djangorestframework-simplejwt python from rest_framework_simplejwt.views import ( TokenObtainPairView, TokenRefreshView, ) urlpatterns = [ path('api/token/', TokenObtainPairView.as_view()), path('api/token/refresh/', TokenRefreshView.as_view()), ]

You can also enforce permissions: python REST_FRAMEWORK = { 'DEFAULT_PERMISSION_CLASSES': [ 'rest_framework.permissions.IsAuthenticated', ] }

Browsable API Interface

One of DRF’s most beloved features is the Browsable API, a UI that automatically appears during development. It lets you explore endpoints, send requests, and debug easily. This accelerates development and makes onboarding faster.

Pagination, Filtering, and Ordering

DRF provides built-in tools to handle large datasets.

Enable pagination globally: python REST_FRAMEWORK = { 'DEFAULT_PAGINATION_CLASS': 'rest_framework.pagination.PageNumberPagination', 'PAGE_SIZE': 10 }

Add filtering and ordering: python pip install django-filter python REST_FRAMEWORK = { 'DEFAULT_FILTER_BACKENDS': [ 'django_filters.rest_framework.DjangoFilterBackend', 'rest_framework.filters.OrderingFilter', ] }

When Should You Use Django Rest Framework?

DRF is ideal for:

• Full backend systems with databases
• Admin dashboards + APIs
• Mobile app backends
• Multi-tenant SaaS platforms
• Machine learning model endpoints
• Enterprise-grade systems

It is less suitable when:

• You need extremely high-performance async APIs (FastAPI is better)
• You require lightweight microservices DRF prioritizes consistency, reliability, and security, making it excellent for scalable backend systems.

Conclusion

Django Rest Framework remains one of the most powerful and developer-friendly solutions for building REST APIs in Python. Its combination of serializers, viewsets, permissions, routers, and a browsable API creates a productive environment for fast, clean backend development. If you want to explore other backend architectures, read our internal post: How to Build a REST API in Python Using FastAPI. For more async and concurrency concepts, try: Mastering Async/Await in JavaScript: A Beginner-Friendly Guide. For official documentation and best practices, visit Django Rest Framework docs and Django documentation. Choosing DRF provides a strong foundation for secure, maintainable, and scalable web APIs that can grow with your application.