An endpoint is a specific URL that an API exposes for interaction. Each endpoint represents a particular function or resource. For example, a user management API might have endpoints like GET /users (list all users), GET /users/123 (get a specific user), and POST /users (create a new user).
The combination of the HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) and the URL path defines what the endpoint does.
You’ll hear this when…
“What’s the endpoint for that?” means “what URL do I call to access that data or trigger that action?” Endpoints are the building blocks of API integrations. API documentation is largely a list of endpoints, what parameters they accept, and what responses they return.
“The endpoint is returning a 500” means the server is erroring when that specific URL is called. “We need to add an endpoint for that” means the API doesn’t currently support a particular operation and needs to be extended.
In a broader sense, “endpoint” can also refer to any device that connects to a network — a laptop, phone, or IoT sensor. The meaning is usually clear from context: in API conversations, it’s a URL; in security or networking conversations, it’s a device.
Source: MDN Web Docs — HTTP methods and API design