{"schemaVersion":"1.0","source":"The Workflow Finder","sourceUrl":"https://www.theworkflowfinder.com","license":"Free to use with attribution and a link to the cited page","generated":"2026-08-28","workflow":{"title":"Build and Deploy a REST API in an Afternoon","slug":"build-and-deploy-rest-api-in-an-afternoon","url":"https://www.theworkflowfinder.com/workflows/build-and-deploy-rest-api-in-an-afternoon","description":"Go from API spec to a live, documented REST API endpoint in 3–4 hours, without boilerplate from scratch.","difficulty":"Advanced","timeEstimate":"3–4 hrs","schemaDuration":"PT4H","expectedResult":"A deployed REST API with authentication, documented endpoints, and a working test suite.","tags":["Development","Coding","Automation"]},"steps":[{"position":1,"title":"Spec the API with AI","instructions":"Describe your API's purpose to Claude and ask it to produce an OpenAPI 3.0 spec with all endpoints, request/response schemas, and authentication requirements.","input":"Workflow inputs: the topic, goal, or raw materials the user is starting from.","output":"Handoff artifact consumed by Step 2 (\"Scaffold the Codebase\").","toolSlots":[{"slug":"claude","name":"Claude","url":"https://www.theworkflowfinder.com/tools/claude","category":"Writing","pricing":"freemium","capabilities":["Long-form writing","Code generation","Web research"],"hasApi":true}]},{"position":2,"title":"Scaffold the Codebase","instructions":"Paste the spec into Cursor or use GitHub Copilot to generate the full project structure, routes, controllers, middleware, and database models, from the spec.","input":"Output of Step 1 (\"Spec the API with AI\").","output":"Handoff artifact consumed by Step 3 (\"Implement Business Logic\").","toolSlots":[{"slug":"cursor","name":"Cursor","url":"https://www.theworkflowfinder.com/tools/cursor","category":"Coding","pricing":"freemium","capabilities":["Code generation","Code review","Debugging assistance"]},{"slug":"github-copilot","name":"GitHub Copilot","url":"https://www.theworkflowfinder.com/tools/github-copilot","category":"Coding","pricing":"paid","capabilities":["Code generation","Code review","Debugging assistance"]}]},{"position":3,"title":"Implement Business Logic","instructions":"Work endpoint by endpoint in Cursor, describing the logic in plain English and letting the AI write the implementation while you review and adjust.","input":"Output of Step 2 (\"Scaffold the Codebase\").","output":"Handoff artifact consumed by Step 4 (\"Write Tests\").","toolSlots":[{"slug":"cursor","name":"Cursor","url":"https://www.theworkflowfinder.com/tools/cursor","category":"Coding","pricing":"freemium","capabilities":["Code generation","Code review","Debugging assistance"]}]},{"position":4,"title":"Write Tests","instructions":"Ask GitHub Copilot to generate integration tests for each endpoint using your framework's testing library. Run the test suite and fix failures.","input":"Output of Step 3 (\"Implement Business Logic\").","output":"Handoff artifact consumed by Step 5 (\"Deploy and Document\").","toolSlots":[{"slug":"github-copilot","name":"GitHub Copilot","url":"https://www.theworkflowfinder.com/tools/github-copilot","category":"Coding","pricing":"paid","capabilities":["Code generation","Code review","Debugging assistance"]}]},{"position":5,"title":"Deploy and Document","instructions":"Deploy to a platform like Vercel or Railway using Aider's command-line workflow. Ask Claude to generate human-readable API docs from the OpenAPI spec.","input":"Output of Step 4 (\"Write Tests\").","output":"Final workflow output: A deployed REST API with authentication, documented endpoints, and a working test suite.","toolSlots":[{"slug":"aider","name":"Aider","url":"https://www.theworkflowfinder.com/tools/aider","category":"Coding","pricing":"free","capabilities":["Code generation","Debugging assistance"]},{"slug":"claude","name":"Claude","url":"https://www.theworkflowfinder.com/tools/claude","category":"Writing","pricing":"freemium","capabilities":["Long-form writing","Code generation","Web research"],"hasApi":true}]}]}