# NestJS: Building a Complete REST API

> Complete guide to building a professional REST API with NestJS. Controllers, Services, Modules, validation with class-validator and error handling explained.

- Published: 2026-01-13
- Updated: 2026-03-28
- Author: SharpSkill
- Tags: nestjs, nodejs, typescript, rest api, backend
- Reading time: 15 min

---

NestJS has established itself as the go-to Node.js framework for building scalable and maintainable server-side applications. Inspired by Angular, it brings a modular architecture, dependency injection, and native TypeScript support. Building professional REST APIs becomes structured and predictable.

> **Why NestJS in 2026**
>
> NestJS 11 introduces significant performance improvements, native signal support for graceful shutdown, and simplified integration with modern ORMs like Prisma and Drizzle. The framework remains backward-compatible with previous versions.

## Project Installation and Configuration

The NestJS CLI generates a complete project with a production-ready structure. TypeScript, ESLint, and unit tests are configured automatically.

```bash
# terminal
# Global installation of the NestJS CLI
npm install -g @nestjs/cli

# Create a new project
nest new my-api

# Navigate to the project
cd my-api

# Start in development mode with hot-reload
npm run start:dev
```

This command creates a project with an organized file structure and essential dependencies pre-installed.

```typescript
// src/main.ts
import { NestFactory } from '@nestjs/core';
import { AppModule } from './app.module';
import { ValidationPipe } from '@nestjs/common';

async function bootstrap() {
  // Create the NestJS application
  const app = await NestFactory.create(AppModule);

  // Enable global validation
  app.useGlobalPipes(new ValidationPipe({
    whitelist: true,           // Removes non-decorated properties
    forbidNonWhitelisted: true, // Rejects requests with unknown properties
    transform: true,            // Transforms payloads to DTO instances
  }));

  // Configure global prefix for all routes
  app.setGlobalPrefix('api');

  await app.listen(3000);
}
bootstrap();
```

This configuration enables automatic request validation and prefixes all routes with `/api`.

## Understanding Modular Architecture

NestJS organizes code into modules, each encapsulating a functional domain. Modules declare controllers (HTTP endpoints), providers (business services), and imports (dependencies).

```typescript
// src/app.module.ts
import { Module } from '@nestjs/common';
import { UsersModule } from './users/users.module';
import { ProductsModule } from './products/products.module';
import { AuthModule } from './auth/auth.module';

// The root module imports all application modules
@Module({
  imports: [
    UsersModule,    // User management
    ProductsModule, // Product catalog
    AuthModule,     // Authentication
  ],
})
export class AppModule {}
```

Each business module follows the same structure: a module file, a controller, and a service.

```typescript
// src/users/users.module.ts
import { Module } from '@nestjs/common';
import { UsersController } from './users.controller';
import { UsersService } from './users.service';

@Module({
  // Controllers handle HTTP requests
  controllers: [UsersController],
  // Providers are injectable throughout the module
  providers: [UsersService],
  // Exports make providers available to other modules
  exports: [UsersService],
})
export class UsersModule {}
```

Exporting `UsersService` allows other modules to import `UsersModule` and use this service via dependency injection.

## Building a Complete CRUD Controller

Controllers define HTTP routes and delegate business logic to services. NestJS decorators make the code expressive and self-documenting.

```typescript
// src/users/users.controller.ts
import {
  Controller,
  Get,
  Post,
  Put,
  Delete,
  Body,
  Param,
  Query,
  HttpCode,
  HttpStatus,
  ParseIntPipe,
} from '@nestjs/common';
import { UsersService } from './users.service';
import { CreateUserDto } from './dto/create-user.dto';
import { UpdateUserDto } from './dto/update-user.dto';
import { User } from './entities/user.entity';

// Route prefix: /api/users
@Controller('users')
export class UsersController {
  // Inject service via constructor
  constructor(private readonly usersService: UsersService) {}

  // POST /api/users - Create a user
  @Post()
  @HttpCode(HttpStatus.CREATED)
  async create(@Body() createUserDto: CreateUserDto): Promise<User> {
    // The DTO is automatically validated before reaching here
    return this.usersService.create(createUserDto);
  }

  // GET /api/users - List with pagination
  @Get()
  async findAll(
    @Query('page', new ParseIntPipe({ optional: true })) page: number = 1,
    @Query('limit', new ParseIntPipe({ optional: true })) limit: number = 10,
  ): Promise<{ data: User[]; total: number }> {
    return this.usersService.findAll(page, limit);
  }

  // GET /api/users/:id - Retrieve by ID
  @Get(':id')
  async findOne(@Param('id', ParseIntPipe) id: number): Promise<User> {
    // ParseIntPipe automatically converts and validates the parameter
    return this.usersService.findOne(id);
  }

  // PUT /api/users/:id - Full update
  @Put(':id')
  async update(
    @Param('id', ParseIntPipe) id: number,
    @Body() updateUserDto: UpdateUserDto,
  ): Promise<User> {
    return this.usersService.update(id, updateUserDto);
  }

  // DELETE /api/users/:id - Deletion
  @Delete(':id')
  @HttpCode(HttpStatus.NO_CONTENT)
  async remove(@Param('id', ParseIntPipe) id: number): Promise<void> {
    await this.usersService.remove(id);
  }
}
```

Pipes like `ParseIntPipe` ensure parameter conversion and validation. On failure, a 400 error is automatically returned.

> **Built-in Validation Pipes**
>
> NestJS provides several built-in pipes: `ParseIntPipe`, `ParseBoolPipe`, `ParseArrayPipe`, `ParseUUIDPipe`. Each validates and transforms incoming data before handler execution.

## Implementing the Business Service

Services encapsulate business logic and data access. Marked with `@Injectable()`, they are managed by the NestJS dependency injection container.

```typescript
// src/users/users.service.ts
import { Injectable, NotFoundException } from '@nestjs/common';
import { CreateUserDto } from './dto/create-user.dto';
import { UpdateUserDto } from './dto/update-user.dto';
import { User } from './entities/user.entity';

@Injectable()
export class UsersService {
  // In-memory database simulation
  private users: User[] = [];
  private idCounter = 1;

  async create(createUserDto: CreateUserDto): Promise<User> {
    // Create the user entity
    const user: User = {
      id: this.idCounter++,
      ...createUserDto,
      createdAt: new Date(),
      updatedAt: new Date(),
    };

    this.users.push(user);
    return user;
  }

  async findAll(page: number, limit: number): Promise<{ data: User[]; total: number }> {
    // Calculate pagination
    const start = (page - 1) * limit;
    const end = start + limit;

    return {
      data: this.users.slice(start, end),
      total: this.users.length,
    };
  }

  async findOne(id: number): Promise<User> {
    const user = this.users.find(u => u.id === id);

    // Throw exception if user doesn't exist
    if (!user) {
      throw new NotFoundException(`User with ID ${id} not found`);
    }

    return user;
  }

  async update(id: number, updateUserDto: UpdateUserDto): Promise<User> {
    const user = await this.findOne(id);

    // Merge existing data with updates
    Object.assign(user, updateUserDto, { updatedAt: new Date() });

    return user;
  }

  async remove(id: number): Promise<void> {
    const index = this.users.findIndex(u => u.id === id);

    if (index === -1) {
      throw new NotFoundException(`User with ID ${id} not found`);
    }

    this.users.splice(index, 1);
  }

  // Utility method for other services
  async findByEmail(email: string): Promise<User | undefined> {
    return this.users.find(u => u.email === email);
  }
}
```

The `NotFoundException` exception automatically generates an HTTP 404 response with a formatted error message.

## Data Validation with class-validator

DTOs (Data Transfer Objects) define the structure of incoming data. Decorators from `class-validator` specify validation rules applied automatically.

```typescript
// src/users/dto/create-user.dto.ts
import {
  IsEmail,
  IsNotEmpty,
  IsString,
  MinLength,
  MaxLength,
  IsOptional,
  Matches,
} from 'class-validator';

export class CreateUserDto {
  @IsNotEmpty({ message: 'Email is required' })
  @IsEmail({}, { message: 'Invalid email format' })
  email: string;

  @IsNotEmpty({ message: 'Password is required' })
  @MinLength(8, { message: 'Password must be at least 8 characters' })
  @MaxLength(50, { message: 'Password cannot exceed 50 characters' })
  @Matches(
    /^(?=.*[a-z])(?=.*[A-Z])(?=.*\d)/,
    { message: 'Password must contain at least one uppercase, one lowercase, and one number' }
  )
  password: string;

  @IsNotEmpty({ message: 'First name is required' })
  @IsString()
  @MinLength(2)
  @MaxLength(50)
  firstName: string;

  @IsNotEmpty({ message: 'Last name is required' })
  @IsString()
  @MinLength(2)
  @MaxLength(50)
  lastName: string;

  @IsOptional()
  @IsString()
  @MaxLength(20)
  phone?: string;
}
```

For partial updates, `PartialType` makes all fields optional while preserving validations.

```typescript
// src/users/dto/update-user.dto.ts
import { PartialType, OmitType } from '@nestjs/mapped-types';
import { CreateUserDto } from './create-user.dto';

// All fields from CreateUserDto become optional
// Password is excluded from standard updates
export class UpdateUserDto extends PartialType(
  OmitType(CreateUserDto, ['password'] as const)
) {}
```

The entity represents the structure of stored data.

```typescript
// src/users/entities/user.entity.ts
export class User {
  id: number;
  email: string;
  password: string;
  firstName: string;
  lastName: string;
  phone?: string;
  createdAt: Date;
  updatedAt: Date;
}
```

## Centralized Error Handling

NestJS provides built-in HTTP exceptions. A global exception filter allows customizing error response formats.

```typescript
// src/common/filters/http-exception.filter.ts
import {
  ExceptionFilter,
  Catch,
  ArgumentsHost,
  HttpException,
  HttpStatus,
} from '@nestjs/common';
import { Request, Response } from 'express';

// Catches all HttpExceptions
@Catch(HttpException)
export class HttpExceptionFilter implements ExceptionFilter {
  catch(exception: HttpException, host: ArgumentsHost) {
    const ctx = host.switchToHttp();
    const response = ctx.getResponse<Response>();
    const request = ctx.getRequest<Request>();
    const status = exception.getStatus();

    // Retrieve error message (can be string or object)
    const exceptionResponse = exception.getResponse();
    const message = typeof exceptionResponse === 'string'
      ? exceptionResponse
      : (exceptionResponse as any).message;

    // Standardized response format
    response.status(status).json({
      success: false,
      statusCode: status,
      timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
      path: request.url,
      method: request.method,
      message: message,
    });
  }
}
```

To catch non-HTTP errors (system errors, unhandled exceptions), a second filter ensures complete coverage.

```typescript
// src/common/filters/all-exceptions.filter.ts
import {
  ExceptionFilter,
  Catch,
  ArgumentsHost,
  HttpException,
  HttpStatus,
} from '@nestjs/common';
import { Request, Response } from 'express';

// Catches ALL exceptions (including system errors)
@Catch()
export class AllExceptionsFilter implements ExceptionFilter {
  catch(exception: unknown, host: ArgumentsHost) {
    const ctx = host.switchToHttp();
    const response = ctx.getResponse<Response>();
    const request = ctx.getRequest<Request>();

    // Determine HTTP code and message
    const status = exception instanceof HttpException
      ? exception.getStatus()
      : HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR;

    const message = exception instanceof HttpException
      ? exception.message
      : 'Internal server error';

    // Log error for debugging
    console.error('Exception caught:', exception);

    response.status(status).json({
      success: false,
      statusCode: status,
      timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
      path: request.url,
      message: message,
    });
  }
}
```

Global filter registration in the main module.

```typescript
// src/main.ts (updated)
import { NestFactory } from '@nestjs/core';
import { AppModule } from './app.module';
import { ValidationPipe } from '@nestjs/common';
import { HttpExceptionFilter } from './common/filters/http-exception.filter';
import { AllExceptionsFilter } from './common/filters/all-exceptions.filter';

async function bootstrap() {
  const app = await NestFactory.create(AppModule);

  // Global validation
  app.useGlobalPipes(new ValidationPipe({
    whitelist: true,
    forbidNonWhitelisted: true,
    transform: true,
  }));

  // Global exception filters
  app.useGlobalFilters(
    new AllExceptionsFilter(),
    new HttpExceptionFilter(),
  );

  app.setGlobalPrefix('api');
  await app.listen(3000);
}
bootstrap();
```

> **Filter Order Matters**
>
> The order of filter registration is important. The first registered filter is the last executed. `AllExceptionsFilter` must be registered before `HttpExceptionFilter` to serve as a fallback.

## Integration with Prisma ORM

Prisma simplifies database interactions through an automatically generated typed client. Here is the complete integration with NestJS.

```bash
# terminal
# Install Prisma
npm install prisma @prisma/client

# Initialize Prisma with PostgreSQL
npx prisma init --datasource-provider postgresql
```

Data schema definition.

```prisma
// prisma/schema.prisma
generator client {
  provider = "prisma-client-js"
}

datasource db {
  provider = "postgresql"
  url      = env("DATABASE_URL")
}

model User {
  id        Int      @id @default(autoincrement())
  email     String   @unique
  password  String
  firstName String   @map("first_name")
  lastName  String   @map("last_name")
  phone     String?
  createdAt DateTime @default(now()) @map("created_at")
  updatedAt DateTime @updatedAt @map("updated_at")

  // Relations
  posts     Post[]

  @@map("users")
}

model Post {
  id        Int      @id @default(autoincrement())
  title     String
  content   String
  published Boolean  @default(false)
  authorId  Int      @map("author_id")
  createdAt DateTime @default(now()) @map("created_at")
  updatedAt DateTime @updatedAt @map("updated_at")

  // Relation to User
  author    User     @relation(fields: [authorId], references: [id])

  @@map("posts")
}
```

Creating a reusable Prisma module.

```typescript
// src/prisma/prisma.service.ts
import { Injectable, OnModuleInit, OnModuleDestroy } from '@nestjs/common';
import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client';

@Injectable()
export class PrismaService extends PrismaClient implements OnModuleInit, OnModuleDestroy {
  // Automatic connection on module startup
  async onModuleInit() {
    await this.$connect();
  }

  // Clean disconnection on application shutdown
  async onModuleDestroy() {
    await this.$disconnect();
  }
}
```

```typescript
// src/prisma/prisma.module.ts
import { Global, Module } from '@nestjs/common';
import { PrismaService } from './prisma.service';

// @Global makes the service available throughout the application
@Global()
@Module({
  providers: [PrismaService],
  exports: [PrismaService],
})
export class PrismaModule {}
```

Updated Users service using Prisma.

```typescript
// src/users/users.service.ts (Prisma version)
import { Injectable, NotFoundException, ConflictException } from '@nestjs/common';
import { PrismaService } from '../prisma/prisma.service';
import { CreateUserDto } from './dto/create-user.dto';
import { UpdateUserDto } from './dto/update-user.dto';
import { User } from '@prisma/client';
import * as bcrypt from 'bcrypt';

@Injectable()
export class UsersService {
  constructor(private readonly prisma: PrismaService) {}

  async create(createUserDto: CreateUserDto): Promise<Omit<User, 'password'>> {
    // Check email uniqueness
    const existingUser = await this.prisma.user.findUnique({
      where: { email: createUserDto.email },
    });

    if (existingUser) {
      throw new ConflictException('This email is already in use');
    }

    // Hash the password
    const hashedPassword = await bcrypt.hash(createUserDto.password, 10);

    // Create the user
    const user = await this.prisma.user.create({
      data: {
        ...createUserDto,
        password: hashedPassword,
      },
    });

    // Exclude password from response
    const { password, ...result } = user;
    return result;
  }

  async findAll(page: number, limit: number): Promise<{ data: User[]; total: number }> {
    // Parallel execution of count and paginated query
    const [data, total] = await Promise.all([
      this.prisma.user.findMany({
        skip: (page - 1) * limit,
        take: limit,
        orderBy: { createdAt: 'desc' },
        select: {
          id: true,
          email: true,
          firstName: true,
          lastName: true,
          phone: true,
          createdAt: true,
          updatedAt: true,
        },
      }),
      this.prisma.user.count(),
    ]);

    return { data: data as User[], total };
  }

  async findOne(id: number): Promise<Omit<User, 'password'>> {
    const user = await this.prisma.user.findUnique({
      where: { id },
      select: {
        id: true,
        email: true,
        firstName: true,
        lastName: true,
        phone: true,
        createdAt: true,
        updatedAt: true,
      },
    });

    if (!user) {
      throw new NotFoundException(`User with ID ${id} not found`);
    }

    return user as Omit<User, 'password'>;
  }

  async update(id: number, updateUserDto: UpdateUserDto): Promise<Omit<User, 'password'>> {
    // Check existence
    await this.findOne(id);

    const user = await this.prisma.user.update({
      where: { id },
      data: updateUserDto,
      select: {
        id: true,
        email: true,
        firstName: true,
        lastName: true,
        phone: true,
        createdAt: true,
        updatedAt: true,
      },
    });

    return user as Omit<User, 'password'>;
  }

  async remove(id: number): Promise<void> {
    await this.findOne(id);
    await this.prisma.user.delete({ where: { id } });
  }
}
```

## Interceptors for Response Transformation

Interceptors allow transforming responses uniformly. A transformation interceptor standardizes the format of all API responses.

```typescript
// src/common/interceptors/transform.interceptor.ts
import {
  Injectable,
  NestInterceptor,
  ExecutionContext,
  CallHandler,
} from '@nestjs/common';
import { Observable } from 'rxjs';
import { map } from 'rxjs/operators';

// Interface for standardized response format
export interface ApiResponse<T> {
  success: boolean;
  data: T;
  timestamp: string;
}

@Injectable()
export class TransformInterceptor<T> implements NestInterceptor<T, ApiResponse<T>> {
  intercept(context: ExecutionContext, next: CallHandler): Observable<ApiResponse<T>> {
    return next.handle().pipe(
      map(data => ({
        success: true,
        data,
        timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
      })),
    );
  }
}
```

A logging interceptor traces requests and their execution times.

```typescript
// src/common/interceptors/logging.interceptor.ts
import {
  Injectable,
  NestInterceptor,
  ExecutionContext,
  CallHandler,
  Logger,
} from '@nestjs/common';
import { Observable } from 'rxjs';
import { tap } from 'rxjs/operators';

@Injectable()
export class LoggingInterceptor implements NestInterceptor {
  private readonly logger = new Logger(LoggingInterceptor.name);

  intercept(context: ExecutionContext, next: CallHandler): Observable<any> {
    const request = context.switchToHttp().getRequest();
    const { method, url } = request;
    const now = Date.now();

    return next.handle().pipe(
      tap(() => {
        const response = context.switchToHttp().getResponse();
        const { statusCode } = response;
        const duration = Date.now() - now;

        // Structured log format
        this.logger.log(
          `${method} ${url} ${statusCode} - ${duration}ms`
        );
      }),
    );
  }
}
```

## Conclusion

NestJS provides a robust and scalable architecture for building professional REST APIs. The combination of TypeScript, dependency injection, and expressive decorators enables building maintainable and testable applications.

### Checklist for a Quality NestJS API

- ✅ Modular structure with separation of concerns
- ✅ DTOs with class-validator validation for all inputs
- ✅ Dedicated services for business logic
- ✅ Centralized error handling with exception filters
- ✅ Interceptors for transformation and logging
- ✅ Prisma integration for database access
- ✅ Global ValidationPipe with whitelist enabled
- ✅ Consistent API prefix on all routes

The strength of NestJS lies in its opinionated structure that naturally guides toward best practices. Proven patterns like dependency injection and layered separation produce testable and evolvable code, ready for enterprise applications.

---

Source: SharpSkill (https://sharpskill.dev), tech interview preparation for your real stack.
HTML version of this page: https://sharpskill.dev/en/blog/node-nestjs/nestjs-building-complete-rest-api