# API endpoint types for REST APIs in API Gateway
<a name="api-gateway-api-endpoint-types"></a>

An *[API endpoint](api-gateway-basic-concept.md#apigateway-definition-api-endpoints)* type refers to the hostname of the API. The API endpoint type can be *edge-optimized*, *Regional*, or *private*, depending on where the majority of your API traffic originates from.

## Edge-optimized API endpoints
<a name="api-gateway-api-endpoint-types-edge-optimized"></a>

An *[edge-optimized API endpoint](api-gateway-basic-concept.md#apigateway-definition-edge-optimized-api-endpoint)* typically routes requests to the nearest CloudFront Point of Presence (POP), which could help in cases where your clients are geographically distributed. This is the default endpoint type for API Gateway REST APIs.

Edge-optimized APIs capitalize the names of [HTTP headers](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Headers) (for example, `Cookie`).

CloudFront sorts HTTP cookies in natural order by cookie name before forwarding the request to your origin. For more information about the way CloudFront processes cookies, see [Caching Content Based on Cookies](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudFront/latest/DeveloperGuide/Cookies.html).

Any custom domain name that you use for an edge-optimized API applies across all regions.

## Regional API endpoints
<a name="api-gateway-api-endpoint-types-regional"></a>

A *[Regional API endpoint](api-gateway-basic-concept.md#apigateway-definition-regional-api-endpoint)* is intended for clients in the same Region. When a client running on an EC2 instance calls an API in the same Region, or when an API is intended to serve a small number of clients with high demands, a Regional API reduces connection overhead.

For a Regional API, any custom domain name that you use is specific to the Region where the API is deployed. If you deploy a Regional API in multiple Regions, it can have the same custom domain name in all Regions. You can use custom domains together with Amazon Route 53 to perform tasks such as [latency-based routing](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/Route53/latest/DeveloperGuide/routing-policy.html#routing-policy-latency). For more information, see [Set up a Regional custom domain name in API Gateway](apigateway-regional-api-custom-domain-create.md) and [Set up an edge-optimized custom domain name in API Gateway](how-to-edge-optimized-custom-domain-name.md).

Regional API endpoints pass all header names through as-is.

**Note**  
In cases where API clients are geographically dispersed, it may still make sense to use a Regional API endpoint, together with your own Amazon CloudFront distribution to ensure that API Gateway does not associate the API with service-controlled CloudFront distributions. For more information about this use case, see [How do I set up API Gateway with my own CloudFront distribution?](https://repost.aws/knowledge-center/api-gateway-cloudfront-distribution).

## Private API endpoints
<a name="api-gateway-api-endpoint-types-private"></a>

A *[private API endpoint](api-gateway-basic-concept.md#apigateway-definition-private-api-endpoint)* is an API endpoint that can only be accessed from your Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) using an interface VPC endpoint, which is an endpoint network interface (ENI) that you create in your VPC. For more information, see [Private REST APIs in API Gateway](apigateway-private-apis.md).

Private API endpoints pass all header names through as-is.

# Change a public or private API endpoint type in API Gateway
<a name="apigateway-api-migration"></a>

Changing an API endpoint type requires you to update the API's configuration. You can change an existing API type using the API Gateway console, the AWS CLI, or an AWS SDK for API Gateway. The endpoint type cannot be changed again until the current change is completed, but your API will be available. 

The following endpoint type changes are supported:
+ From edge-optimized to Regional or private
+ From Regional to edge-optimized or private
+ From private to Regional

You cannot change a private API into an edge-optimized API.

If you are changing a public API from edge-optimized to Regional or vice versa, note that an edge-optimized API may have different behaviors than a Regional API. For example, an edge-optimized API removes the `Content-MD5` header. Any MD5 hash value passed to the backend can be expressed in a request string parameter or a body property. However, the Regional API passes this header through, although it may remap the header name to some other name. Understanding the differences helps you decide how to update an edge-optimized API to a Regional one or from a Regional API to an edge-optimized one. 

**Topics**
+ [

## Use the API Gateway console to change an API endpoint type
](#migrate-api-using-console)
+ [

## Use the AWS CLI to change an API endpoint type
](#migrate-api-using-aws-cli)

## Use the API Gateway console to change an API endpoint type
<a name="migrate-api-using-console"></a>

To change the API endpoint type of your API, perform one of the following sets of steps:

**To convert a public endpoint from Regional or edge-optimized and vice versa**

1. Sign in to the API Gateway console at [https://console.aws.amazon.com/apigateway](https://console.aws.amazon.com/apigateway).

1. Choose a REST API.

1. Choose **API settings**.

1. In the **API details** section, choose **Edit**.

1. For **API endpoint type**, select either **Edge-optimized** or **Regional**.

1. Choose **Save changes**.

1. Redeploy your API so that the changes will take effect.

**To convert a private endpoint to a Regional endpoint**

1. Sign in to the API Gateway console at [https://console.aws.amazon.com/apigateway](https://console.aws.amazon.com/apigateway).

1. Choose a REST API.

1. Edit the resource policy for your API to remove any mention of VPCs or VPC endpoints so that API calls from outside your VPC as well as inside your VPC will succeed.

1. Choose **API settings**.

1. In the **API details** section, choose **Edit**.

1. For **API endpoint type**, select **Regional**.

1. Choose **Save changes**.

1. Remove the resource policy from your API.

1. Redeploy your API so that the changes will take effect.

   Because you're migrating the endpoint type from private to Regional, API Gateway changes the IP address type to IPv4. For more information, see [IP address types for REST APIs in API Gateway](api-gateway-ip-address-type.md).

**To convert a Regional endpoint to a private endpoint**

1. Sign in to the API Gateway console at [https://console.aws.amazon.com/apigateway](https://console.aws.amazon.com/apigateway).

1. Choose a REST API.

1. Create a resource policy that grants access to your VPC or VPC endpoint. For more information, see [Step 3: Set up a resource policy for a private API](apigateway-private-api-create.md#apigateway-private-api-set-up-resource-policy).

1. Choose **API settings**.

1. In the **API details** section, choose **Edit**.

1. For **API endpoint type**, select **Private**.

1. (Optional) For **VPC endpoint IDs**, select the VPC endpoint IDs that you want to associate with your private API. 

1. Choose **Save changes**.

1. Redeploy your API so that the changes will take effect.

   Because you're migrating the endpoint type from Regional to private, API Gateway changes the IP address type to dualstack. For more information, see [IP address types for REST APIs in API Gateway](api-gateway-ip-address-type.md).

## Use the AWS CLI to change an API endpoint type
<a name="migrate-api-using-aws-cli"></a>

The following [update-rest-api](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/reference/apigateway/update-rest-api.html) command updates an edge-optimized API to a Regional API: 

```
aws apigateway update-rest-api \
    --rest-api-id a1b2c3 \
    --patch-operations op=replace,path=/endpointConfiguration/types/EDGE,value=REGIONAL
```

The successful response has a status code of `200 OK` and a payload similar to the following:

```
{
    "createdDate": "2017-10-16T04:09:31Z",
    "description": "Your first API with Amazon API Gateway. This is a sample API that integrates via HTTP with our demo Pet Store endpoints",
    "endpointConfiguration": {
        "types": "REGIONAL"
    },
    "id": "a1b2c3",
    "name": "PetStore imported as edge-optimized"
}
```

The following [update-rest-api](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/reference/apigateway/update-rest-api.html) command updates a Regional API to an edge-optimized API:

```
aws apigateway update-rest-api \
    --rest-api-id a1b2c3 \
    --patch-operations op=replace,path=/endpointConfiguration/types/REGIONAL,value=EDGE
```

Because [put-rest-api](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/reference/apigateway/put-rest-api.html) is for updating API definitions, it is not applicable to updating an API endpoint type.