How would you handle cross-origin requests (CORS) in a REST API?

Short answer: Configure CORS policy on the server. Allow specific origins, headers, and methods. 👉 Example in ASP.NET Core: services.AddCors(options => { options.AddPolicy("MyPolicy", builder => builder.WithOrigins(" .AllowAnyHeader() .AllowAnyMethod()); }); Apply with app.UseCors("MyPolicy");.

Real-world example (ShopNest)

Creating an order is POST /api/orders → 201 with Location header. Fetching is GET /api/orders/{id} → 200 or 404.

Say this in the interview

1. Define — one clear sentence (the short answer above).
2. Example — relate it to a project like ShopNest or your real work.
3. Trade-off — when you would not use it.