What does the API look like for a task that takes several minutes?
Review note: The answer refers to the original author's CV or target job offer — adapt it to your own experience.
Answer out loud or in your head first, then compare.
Answer
After accepting the data, the server creates a job and returns its ID, instead of keeping the client in the dark for several minutes. The user can check the status and collect the result later. The status should distinguish waiting, running, success, error and, possibly, awaiting approval.
Example: POST /jobs accepts a document, and GET /jobs/12 shows progress. When reading the status I also check access — knowing a job number doesn't entitle you to the result. Cancellation needs a defined meaning: it can stop further work, but it won't always undo an earlier write in an external system. The result must survive closing the browser tab.
Why it matters: The natural shape of many AI tasks in the offer.
Possible follow-ups: What about retrying the POST if the client doesn't know whether the first request arrived?
How did it go? Be honest — “Not yet” puts the question on your review list.
Start with
- D-P01 · What is HTTP, and what do a request and a response look like? — Backend, data and system design
- D-P10 · What is a database transaction? — Backend, data and system design
- D-P13 · What is a message queue, and why do we use one? — Backend, data and system design
Further reading
- RAS Tech: Our Recruitment Process — All You Need to Know(opens in a new tab)Process; accessed 22.10.2026. A general description of the technical stage, internet access and AI; no guarantee of your round's format.