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Building a robust REST API is a fundamental skill for any MEAN stack or backend developer. In this guide, I will show you how to build a fully functional REST API using Node.js and Express.js from scratch in under 30 minutes, and then we will deploy it live using Hostinger's powerful environment. Prerequisites Node.js installed on your machine. A code editor like VS Code. Basic understanding of JavaScript. Step 1: Initialize Your Project First, create a new directory for your project and navigate into it. Then, initialize a new Node project: mkdir express-api cd express-api npm init -y Step 2: Install Dependencies We only need a few packages to get started. Express for the server and Nodemon for auto-restarting the server during development. npm install express npm install --save-dev nodemon Step 3: Setup the Server Create an index.js file in the root folder. This will be the entry point of our API. const express = require('express'); const app = express(); const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000; // Middleware to parse JSON app.use(express.json()); // Basic Route app.get('/', (req, res) => { res.json({ message: "Welcome to my API!" }); }); app.listen(PORT, () => { console.log(`Server is running on port ${PORT}`); }); Step 4: Create RESTful Routes Now, let's create a simple in-memory array of users to perform CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations. let users = [ { id: 1, name: "Jeel Faldu", role: "Developer" }, { id: 2, name: "John Doe", role: "Designer" } ]; // GET all users app.get('/api/users', (req, res) => { res.json(users); }); // POST a new user app.post('/api/users', (req, res) => { const newUser = { id: users.length + 1, name: req.body.name, role: req.body.role }; users.push(newUser); res.status(201).json(newUser); }); Test your API locally by running npx nodemon index.js. Your endpoints are now live at http://localhost:3000/api/users. Step 5: Deploying on Hostinger (Highly Recommended) Once your API is ready, you need a reliable hosting provider to push it live. I personally use and highly recommend Hostinger for all my Node.js and MEAN stack projects. They offer an intuitive hPanel, incredible speeds, and excellent pricing for developers. 🔥 Special Developer Discount If you're looking to host your web apps, APIs, or databases, Hostinger is currently running an amazing offer. Claim Hostinger Discount Now → To deploy: Zip your project folder (excluding the node_modules folder). Log in to your Hostinger Account and go to your File Manager. Upload the zip file and extract it. Use Hostinger's Node.js Setup tool (in hPanel) to configure your App's entry point to index.js. Click start, and your server will install dependencies and go live! Conclusion And there you have it! You've successfully built and deployed an Express.js REST API. Let me know in the comments or via my contact page if you have any questions.