FastAPI: Build Production Python APIs
Master FastAPI from first route to production deployment, covering async patterns, authentication, databases, and testing. You will build a fully functional REST API with JWT auth, PostgreSQL integration, background tasks, and automated tests.
Course Content
6 modules · 30 lessonsFastAPI Foundations
Students can create a working FastAPI application with typed routes, path/query parameters, and automatic documentation.
What is FastAPI and why is it faster than Flask and Django REST
ASGI vs WSGI, Starlette base, Pydantic integration, automatic OpenAPI docs, performance benchmarks, type hint driven development
How to define path parameters and query parameters in FastAPI
path parameters, query parameters, optional parameters, default values, type coercion, parameter validation, URL structure
How to validate request bodies with Pydantic models in FastAPI
Pydantic BaseModel, request body declaration, field types, Field constraints, nested models, JSON schema generation, automatic validation
How FastAPI response models and status codes work
response_model parameter, response filtering, HTTP status codes, status_code parameter, HTTPException, JSONResponse, response typing
How to structure a FastAPI project with routers and multiple files
APIRouter, include_router, prefix and tags, project file structure, separating concerns, router dependencies, multiple route files
Async Programming and Dependencies
Students can write async route handlers, use the dependency injection system for shared logic, and understand when async provides real performance gains.
When to use async def vs def in FastAPI routes
async def vs def, event loop, blocking vs non-blocking I/O, thread pool executor, CPU-bound vs I/O-bound tasks, uvicorn worker model
How FastAPI dependency injection works with Depends
Depends function, dependency declaration, shared logic, dependency chaining, dependency caching, use_cache parameter, function dependencies
How to use class-based dependencies in FastAPI
class as dependency, __call__ method, parameterized dependencies, dependency instances, stateful dependencies, reusable filters
How to use yield dependencies for resource management in FastAPI
yield in dependencies, generator dependencies, setup and teardown, database session management, context managers, exception handling in yield
How to run background tasks in FastAPI without blocking the response
BackgroundTasks, add_task method, background task function, response before task, use cases, limitations vs Celery, task in dependency
Database Integration with SQLAlchemy
Students can connect FastAPI to a PostgreSQL database using SQLAlchemy, define ORM models, perform CRUD operations, and handle migrations with Alembic.
How to connect FastAPI to PostgreSQL using SQLAlchemy
SQLAlchemy engine, SessionLocal, Base declarative, DATABASE_URL, environment variables, connection pooling, database.py pattern
How to define SQLAlchemy ORM models for FastAPI
ORM model class, Column types, primary key, index, relationship, ForeignKey, __tablename__, Base inheritance, nullable columns
How to perform CRUD operations with SQLAlchemy in FastAPI
session.add, session.commit, session.refresh, session.query, filter, first, all, session.delete, CRUD layer pattern, separating DB logic from routes
How to use Alembic for database migrations in FastAPI projects
Alembic init, alembic.ini, env.py configuration, autogenerate, upgrade, downgrade, revision, migration history, production migration workflow
How to use SQLAlchemy async sessions with FastAPI
create_async_engine, AsyncSession, async_sessionmaker, asyncpg driver, async CRUD patterns, await session.execute, select statement, scalars
Authentication and Security
Students can implement JWT-based authentication, hash passwords securely, protect routes with OAuth2 scopes, and apply CORS and rate-limiting middleware.
How to hash passwords and verify them in FastAPI with passlib
passlib CryptContext, bcrypt algorithm, hash function, verify function, never store plaintext, timing-safe comparison, password hashing best practices
How to create and verify JWT tokens in FastAPI
JWT structure, python-jose, SECRET_KEY, algorithm HS256, token expiry, create_access_token, decode token, JWTError handling, payload claims
How to implement OAuth2 password flow login in FastAPI
OAuth2PasswordBearer, OAuth2PasswordRequestForm, token endpoint, login flow, get_current_user dependency, WWW-Authenticate header, bearer token
How to configure CORS in FastAPI for frontend integration
CORSMiddleware, allow_origins, allow_methods, allow_headers, allow_credentials, preflight requests, wildcard origins, production vs development config
How to add rate limiting and request size limits to FastAPI
slowapi, Limiter, rate limit decorator, IP-based limiting, custom key functions, request body size limit, middleware approach, 429 Too Many Requests
Testing FastAPI Applications
Students can write unit and integration tests for FastAPI apps using pytest and TestClient, mock dependencies, test authenticated routes, and measure code coverage.
How to set up pytest and TestClient for FastAPI testing
TestClient, httpx transport, pytest setup, test file structure, conftest.py, pytest fixtures, test database, TESTING environment flag
How to override FastAPI dependencies in tests
app.dependency_overrides, test database, override get_db, override get_current_user, test isolation, restoring overrides, in-memory SQLite for tests
How to write tests for authenticated FastAPI routes
login flow in tests, Authorization header, Bearer token, pytest fixture for auth token, test user creation, reusable auth fixture, 401 testing
How to test FastAPI with a real database using pytest fixtures
test database setup, transaction rollback per test, pytest session scope, database cleanup, isolated test state, SQLite in-memory for tests, fixture scope
How to measure and improve test coverage in a FastAPI project
pytest-cov, coverage report, branch coverage, .coveragerc, omitting files, coverage badge, what to prioritize covering, missing line numbers
Production Deployment
Students can containerize a FastAPI app with Docker, configure environment variables securely, deploy behind a reverse proxy, and set up basic observability with logging and health checks.
How to containerize a FastAPI app with Docker
Dockerfile, multi-stage builds, COPY requirements.txt, CMD uvicorn, .dockerignore, image layers, build cache, non-root user, production image size
How to manage environment variables and secrets in FastAPI production
pydantic-settings, BaseSettings, env file loading, Settings singleton, get_settings dependency, secret injection, dotenv validation, environment-specific config
How to add structured logging to a FastAPI application
Python logging module, structlog, request ID middleware, log levels, JSON log format, uvicorn access logs, middleware logging, correlation IDs
How to add health check and readiness endpoints to FastAPI
health check endpoint, readiness vs liveness, database ping, dependency check, Kubernetes probes, load balancer health checks, startup events, health response schema
How to deploy FastAPI with Gunicorn and Uvicorn workers in production
Gunicorn UvicornWorker, worker count formula, process manager, graceful shutdown, Nginx reverse proxy, SSL termination, keep-alive, production checklist