Chapter 2: Enhancing Features with Custom REST API Endpoints and External Data

Unlocking WordPress with Custom REST API Endpoints

In this chapter, you’ll learn to enhance your WordPress site by creating a custom REST API endpoint using pure PHP. This new endpoint will pull live data from Coinbase’s currencies API, process it, and serve a personalized JSON response that you can utilize in your projects.

Key Takeaways

• Endpoint Registration: Understand how to use rest_api_init to create a new API endpoint.
• Data Retrieval: Learn to fetch data with wp_remote_get() and handle the JSON response.
• JSON Output: Discover how to structure the data for external use or custom templates.

Testing Your New Endpoint

Once you’ve added the code to your theme’s functions.php, visit your endpoint at https://yourdomain.com/wp-json/custom/v1/coinbase-currencies to see live currency data returned in a neat JSON format.

“Custom REST API endpoints allow for seamless integration of live external data, giving your WordPress site a dynamic edge.”

This chapter provides a solid foundation for integrating external data with WordPress. In the upcoming chapter, we will delve into best practices and security tips to further refine your API integration skills. Stay tuned to enhance your development journey!