Skill Module
Build RESTful APIs in Node.js
4 branches·37 chapters·4 projects
Learn the fundamentals of backend development, and how to build real database-backed and framework-powered RESTful APIs with MySQL, Sequelize, and Express.
About this module
This module is about building services that persist data and speak HTTP the way production systems do.
You'll start by modeling information with MySQL: designing tables and relationships, writing queries and joins, and managing access so data stays consistent and protected. Then you'll map those concepts into Sequelize models and queries to work at a higher level without losing control over how data is stored and retrieved.
On the web layer, you'll build an Express server that routes requests, parses and validates input, handles errors in a consistent way, serves assets when needed, and implements authentication flows (Basic, Bearer, and JWT) that gate access to protected operations. Each project focuses on a common, production-shaped problem—rate limiting, payload validation, format conversion, standardized error handling—so you practice patterns you'll actually reuse.
By the end, you'll know how requests move through a backend, how and where to validate, how to isolate failures, and how to persist data safely. You'll be able to design endpoints with clear contracts, implement them cleanly, and talk about your decisions using the vocabulary hiring teams expect.
What you'll learn
Here's a shortlist of the key points you'll master by the end of this module.
- Organize, store, and retrieve your data in a logical and consistent way
- Protect your data from unauthorized access or modification
- Improve the resilience of your system by decoupling the code from the data
- Grasp the key concepts of IP addresses, DNS, and the client-server model
- Understand how information is transmitted between clients and servers using protocols like HTTP
- Discover the REST principles for creating reliable and scalable web applications
- Eliminate the structural overhead and focus on building features
- Improve the cleanness, adaptability and testability of your applications
- Reduce the risk of introducing errors and code duplication
The curriculum
Here's an overview of the chapters composing this module, organized by sections.
The MySQL Database
10 chapters·3 weeks
- The MySQL Relational Database Management System
- Managing Databases in MySQL
- Retrieving Records From a Table With Queries in MySQL
- Grouping and Aggregating Records in MySQL
- Retrieving Records From Multiple Tables With Joins in MySQL
- Retrieving Complex Data With Subqueries in MySQL
- Inserting, Updating, and Removing Records in MySQL
- Designing and Managing Tables in MySQL
- Defining Relationships Between Tables in MySQL
- Managing Users & Access Rights in MySQL
The Sequelize ORM
7 chapters·2 weeks
- The Sequelize Object-Relational Mapping Tool
- Defining a Model in Sequelize
- Retrieving Records From Tables in Sequelize
- Filtering Records From Tables in Sequelize
- Grouping and Aggregating Records in Sequelize
- Defining Relationships in Sequelize
- Retrieving Records From Multiple Tables in Sequelize
The Backend Fundamentals
7 chapters·1 weeks
- The Fundamentals of Backend
- The Internet
- Domain Names, Registries & Registrars
- The Client-Server Model
- The World Wide Web
- The Hypertext Transfer Protocol
- Web Application Programming Interfaces
The Express Framework
13 chapters·8 weeks·4 projects
- The Express.js Web Framework
- Writing Your First Web Server in Express.js
- Routing HTTP Requests in Express.js
- Processing HTTP Requests With Middlewares in Express.js
- Parsing HTTP Requests in Express.js
- Handling Errors in Express.js
- Validating the Payload of HTTP Requests in Express.js
- Serving Static Files in Express.js
- Using Template Engines in Express.js
- The Fundamentals of Authentication
- The Basic Access Authentication Scheme
- The Bearer Token Authentication Scheme
- JSON Web Tokens
The projects you'll build
Employers don't just want impressive resumes anymore, they also want impressive proof. With Learn Backend, you'll build a GitHub repository that actually proves you know backend development.
Here's an overview of the practical, hands-on projects you'll build.
lb_lorem
In this project, you'll build a Lorem Ipsum generator API that implements a rate limiter middleware used to limit the amount of requests a client can make to an endpoint in a certain amount of time.
lb_converter
In this project, you'll build a converter API that implements a middleware function that parses and converts the message body of incoming HTTP requests from CSV to JSON, and vice versa.
lb_tinyurl
In this project, you'll build a URL shortener API that implements an error-handling middleware function that standardizes and centralizes server errors.
lb_pastebin
In this project, you'll build a pastebin API that implements a multipurpose validation middleware that can selectively check route parameters, query string parameters, and message body of incoming HTTP requests.
Who is this for?
- Junior developers who want to discover backend development
- Front-end developers who want to transition to full-stack development
Do I need prior knowledge?
To complete this module, you will need to be familiar with the following topics.
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Why learn from me?
Hi, I'm Razvan 👋 — A senior Node.js backend engineer, technical writer, online teacher, and founder of Learn Backend.
It's no secret: learning backend development on your own is extremely hard.
Before becoming a senior Node.js engineer with now over a decade of experience, I also failed at it for years... and probably for the same reasons you're struggling with it right now.
The internet is full of content, but very little direction. No one tells you what to learn first, what to ignore, or how it all fits together.
This is why I created Learn Backend: a roadmap that teaches the core principles first, gradually introduces hands-on skills, and shows how all the pieces logically fit together.
I wanted to give people like me, and maybe you, the best fighting chance to make it in the software industry as job-ready backend developers — without wasting the years or facing the same unnecessary hurdles I did.
So if you're tired of guessing what to learn next or overwhelmed by all the noise, Learn Backend was built for you.
What developers say about it
Our content isn't guesswork. It's continuously reviewed by professional web developers, and here's what some of them have to say...
This module gives a realistic view of how backend works, it doesn't just talk about frameworks. It starts with the fundamentals, then walks the student all the way through routing, middleware, validation, error handling, and more... That's how backend should be taught.
Adrien B
Senior Backend Developer
The database material is serious. Modeling data in MySQL, defining relationships, joins, subqueries, access control, then mapping it all through Sequelize models and queries. I think that's what most junior developers struggle with, and it's handled in a way that's both technically correct and approachable.
Julien B
Senior Backend Developer
The projects are practical, scoped like real services, and cover essential software pieces: payload validation, data conversion, rate-limiting, error management... These are not toy endpoints, they're small, production-shaped problems.
Thibault R
Senior Backend Developer
Peek inside the module
Explore these full-length lessons to see exactly what you'll get and how you'll learn once inside.
Defining a Model in Sequelize
Sequelize·52 min read
In Sequelize, a model is an abstraction that represents a table in the database and that tells several things about the entity it represents, such as its name, the name of its columns...
Read
Routing HTTP Requests in Express
Express·63 min read
In web development, routing refers to the mechanism by which a web application determines how to process and respond to the requests sent by clients...
Read
Build RESTful APIs in Node.js
Learn the fundamentals of backend development, and how to build real database-backed and framework-powered RESTful APIs with MySQL, Sequelize, and Express.
Own this module
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What's included:
- 4 sections
- 37 premium lessons with full code
- 4 complete projects with commented solutions
- Progress tracking
- Future module and project updates
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What's included:
- All courses and standalone branches
- 130 premium lessons with full code
- 26 complete projects with commented solutions
- Progress tracking accross the full roadmap
- Private student community access
- All future module and project updates
- Lifetime access
Our 100% satisfaction guarantee and money-back promise
We want the investment in our program to be an absolute no-brainer for you.
If for whatever reason you aren't 100% satisfied with your experience, send us an email within the first 30 days of purchase at support@learnbackend.dev and we'll refund your entire payment.
No hard feelings. No questions asked.
Everything else you need to know
You've got questions? We've got answers.
Do I need to know SQL beforehand?
No.
The module teaches you how to work with MySQL from the ground up: creating databases, designing tables, defining relationships, writing queries, doing joins and subqueries, and managing access rights.
You'll then map that knowledge to Sequelize models and queries.
Do I need to know Express already?
No.
You'll be introduced to Express properly: setting up a server, routing HTTP requests, parsing and validating input, writing middlewares, handling errors, serving static assets, and implementing authentication flows.
Do I need Docker to follow this module?
No.
The module, as described, teaches MySQL, Sequelize, and Express directly. You'll be connecting to a database, defining models, and building routes without assuming prior Docker knowledge.
Containerization and deployment strategy are not the focus here.
Will this help me in interviews?
Yes.
After this module you can talk about HTTP methods, request/response flow, middleware, validation, error handling, authentication schemes, SQL modeling, and how data moves through a service.
Those are the questions people ask when they want to know if you can actually work on backend tasks.
How close is this to "production-grade"?
You'll learn core patterns that are used in production: structured error handling, input validation, auth, protected database writes, consistent response formats, and rate limiting.
You will not be doing scaling, orchestration, observability, etc. That comes later. But you will understand how a real backend API is put together.
How is this module different from other online courses?
Unlike many generic online courses, our module is specifically designed for aspiring backend developers.
It focuses on real-world skills, hands-on projects, and an industry-relevant curriculum that goes beyond just theory.
Plus, our step-by-step roadmap ensures that you're fully prepared to enter the job market confidently.
Does the module work for all operating systems?
The module is primarily designed to work on Linux-based and macOS operating systems.
These environments are essential for learning backend development effectively, as they align with industry standards and provide the necessary tools and features.
However, if you're using Windows, we recommend setting up the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) on your machine to follow along.
I've got more questions, how can I reach you?
You can send us an email at support@learnbackend.dev or send us a direct message on Discord.