Skip to main content
apiguide.dev

Bidirectional (Request/Response)

Link

: <https://api.apiguide.dev/v1/leads?page=3>; rel="next",

Provides a means to serialize relationships between resources in HTTP headers, commonly used for pagination.

DirectionBidirectional (Request/Response)
StatusStandardized
Seen with103, 200, 206
Defined inRFC 8288
Updated2026-10-14

The Link header (RFC 8288) allows servers to express relationships between the current resource and other resources, such as pagination states.

API Usage & Best Practices

  • Best Practice for Pagination: Instead of packing pagination URLs inside your JSON envelope, serialize pagination links (next, prev, first, last) in the Link header. This keeps your payload focused purely on resource data.
  • Early Hints integration: A server can send Link headers in a 103 Early Hints interim response, before the final response is ready, so the client can start preloading or preconnecting while the server is still working. The links in a 103 are hints; the final response carries its own headers. The underlying model of link relations is described under Web Linking.

Examples

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Link: <https://api.apiguide.dev/v1/leads?page=3>; rel="next",
      <https://api.apiguide.dev/v1/leads?page=1>; rel="prev"

Status codes seen with it

3

Sponsors

Support the project