What should I use for an API that has historical and current data?

If your API needs to serve both current and historical data, a good default choice is:

Recommended pattern

Use one resource model with:

• a current/latest endpoint for the present state
• time-based query parameters or a history subresource for past versions

Common designs

1) Current data endpoint

GET /items/{id}

Returns the latest version by default.

2) Historical data endpoint

GET /items/{id}/history

Returns all past versions or change records.

3) Point-in-time lookup

GET /items/{id}?at=2026-10-17T12:00:00Z

Returns the version valid at that timestamp.

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When to use each

• Use /history if you want audit-style changes or version records.
• Use ?at= or ?version= if clients need to ask “what was this at a specific time?”
• Use separate endpoints if historical data has a different shape or volume from current data.

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Best practice

If possible, make the API:

• RESTful
• time-aware
• explicit about versioning

A solid design is:

GET /resource/{id}          -> current data
GET /resource/{id}/history  -> historical versions
GET /resource/{id}?at=...   -> data at a specific time

If you want, I can suggest the best design based on your exact use case, like whether this is for metrics, prices, user records, or audit logs.