Backend Development with Node.js and Express

What you'll learn

• Build a well-structured REST API with Express routing, controllers, and middleware
• Model and persist data in MongoDB using Mongoose schemas and validation
• Design predictable endpoints with proper status codes and error responses
• Add authentication and protect routes so only permitted users reach them
• Organise a backend codebase that stays maintainable as features grow

About this course

The backend is where the real logic of an application lives — the data, the rules, and the security. This course teaches you to build that layer properly with Node.js and Express, the stack behind a large slice of the web's APIs. You'll begin with how a Node server actually handles requests, then build up a clean Express application: routing, controllers, and middleware that keep concerns separated. You'll connect to MongoDB through Mongoose, design schemas with validation, and implement full create-read-update-delete endpoints that behave predictably. From there you'll add the parts that separate a toy project from a real one — consistent error handling, input validation, and authentication that protects your routes. This course suits developers comfortable with JavaScript who want to own the server side. By the end you'll have built a documented REST API from scratch and understand the decisions behind a maintainable backend, ready to pair it with any frontend or power a mobile app.