# HATEOAS at a Glance — REST API Design: Resources, Status Codes and Security

Source: https://www.skillbyai.com/en/restapi/api-hateoas

> Learn the HATEOAS idea of hypermedia links in responses, and when formats like HAL or JSON:API are worth using.

## Hypermedia as the engine of state

HATEOAS says a response should include links to related/next actions, so a client discovers the API by following links rather than hardcoding every URI upfront — like a website with clickable links instead of a memorized map.

## Links in the response

The available next steps travel with the resource itself.

```json
{
  "id": 482,
  "status": "pending",
  "_links": {
    "self": { "href": "/orders/482" },
    "cancel": { "href": "/orders/482/cancel", "method": "POST" }
  }
}
```

## Rarely used in full

Full HATEOAS is uncommon outside a few standards (like HAL or JSON:API) — most public APIs skip it in favor of documented, fixed URIs. Know the idea; don't feel obligated to implement it everywhere.