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Yes—REST can work without JSON. REST describes how clients and servers interact with resources; HTTP or CoAP carries those interactions; and a representation such as JSON, CBOR or SenML describes the data. Endpoints agree on media types and semantics, so changing the representation does not change the REST model. Current IETF IoT guidance lists JSON, CBOR, SenML and other formats as typical choices, while the guidance itself remains an Internet-Draft rather than a finished standard. IETF RESTful IoT guidance (draft-irtf-t2trg-rest-iot-19, June 2026)
What “REST without JSON” actually means
The phrase can describe several different design decisions:
- Keeping HTTP but sending CBOR or SenML instead of JSON.
- Using CoAP, a constrained RESTful transfer protocol, with JSON, CBOR or another representation.
- Using SenML encoded as CBOR for simple sensor measurements.
- Choosing another registered representation such as
text/plain,application/octet-stream, EXI or CoRE Link Format.
These are separate layers. CoAP is not a binary encoding, and CBOR is not a transport protocol. A receiver still needs an agreed protocol, media type and data model. The IETF design guidance identifies these as distinct choices.
Can REST work without JSON?
REST is an architectural style built around resources, representations, identifiers and uniform interactions. JSON is only one possible representation. An endpoint can expose the same resource through different media types when both sides understand the semantics—for example, application/json for a browser-facing client and application/cbor for a constrained device.
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Changing JSON to CBOR does not automatically make an interface RESTful. The resource model, methods, status handling, caching and content negotiation still need to be designed. Conversely, using JSON does not make an interface RESTful by itself.
What is CoAP?
RFC 7252 defines the Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP), an IETF Standards Track protocol for constrained nodes and networks. It provides a REST subset, resource discovery, multicast and asynchronous exchanges for machine-to-machine applications that may later integrate with the Web.
The RFC states that CoAP’s goal is “not to blindly compress HTTP,” but to realize a REST subset common with HTTP and optimized for M2M applications. CoAP was originally specified over UDP, but later specifications define transports including TCP, TLS and WebSockets. A deployment therefore needs to identify its actual CoAP transport rather than treating “CoAP” as synonymous with UDP.
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CoAP and the payload format remain independent. A CoAP resource can carry JSON, CBOR, SenML, plain text or another agreed representation.
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When multicast discovery is impractical—such as with sleeping nodes—a Resource Directory can register, maintain, look up and remove resource information. RFC 9176 specifies this directory model.
For data that does not fit comfortably in one message, block-wise transfer extensions support segmented exchanges. RFC 9177 adds block-wise transfers using non-confirmable CoAP messages; it is an available extension, not a requirement for every deployment.
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Is CBOR a protocol or a data format?
CBOR means Concise Binary Object Representation. RFC 8949 defines it as an Internet Standard (STD 94) data format. CBOR encodes structured values; it does not provide resource discovery, retransmission, authorization or a network route.
An implementation using CBOR still needs a transfer protocol such as HTTP or CoAP, a media type such as application/cbor, and compatible semantics. Binary encoding may be a sensible choice when device memory, message size or parsing constraints matter, but the standards cited here do not establish a universal improvement in latency, energy, bandwidth or total cost compared with JSON.
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Can CoAP use CBOR?
Yes. CoAP can carry CBOR when the endpoint advertises or otherwise agrees on application/cbor. A common design is:
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- Model a resource and its operations using REST conventions.
- Use CoAP for the constrained exchange.
- Set the content format and acceptable media type to CBOR.
- Define the CBOR data structure and validation rules for that resource.
The same resource may have an HTTP representation in JSON for an application server and a CoAP representation in CBOR for a device gateway. Interoperability depends on explicit contracts, not on the word “binary.”
Why SenML is useful for simple sensor data
RFC 8428 defines Sensor Measurement Lists (SenML), a data model for measurements and simple device metadata. It registers both application/senml+json and application/senml+cbor, so SenML is a model that can be represented in either JSON or CBOR.
SenML is designed to carry enough information to be self-describing while keeping auxiliary information small. A temperature, timestamp, unit and sensor name are the sort of fields it can express, including batches of readings. The RFC also warns: “There are many types of more complex measurements and measurements that this media type would not be suitable for.” Multidimensional waveforms, rich event structures or domain-specific metadata may need another model.
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CoAP plus SenML/CBOR is therefore a standards-backed pattern for straightforward readings—not a universal replacement for every IoT payload.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choosing a protocol and representation
| Choice | What it combines | When it fits | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| HTTP + CBOR | Web transfer interactions with a binary representation | Existing HTTP infrastructure and tooling matter, but endpoints can process CBOR | CBOR changes the payload format, not HTTP’s protocol behavior. RFC 8949 |
| HTTP + SenML/CBOR | HTTP with the SenML sensor model encoded in CBOR | Simple measurements must pass through web-oriented systems | SenML’s scope is limited to simple measurements and metadata. RFC 8428 |
| CoAP + CBOR | Constrained RESTful transfer with CBOR data | Constrained nodes or networks need CoAP’s discovery, multicast or asynchronous features | Do not attribute any payload-size or end-to-end performance gain to CoAP alone. RFC 7252 RFC 8949 |
| CoAP + SenML/CBOR | CoAP with a standardized simple-measurement model | Sensor readings and small batches need a defined interoperable schema | Complex measurements may not fit SenML. RFC 8428 |
| HTTP or CoAP + JSON | RESTful interactions with a text representation | Human inspection, existing integrations and mature tooling outweigh tight payload constraints | Suitability is deployment-dependent; no universal winner is established by these standards. |
Evaluate each option against device memory and processing limits, network behavior and message size, available implementations, interoperability requirements, whether the data fits SenML, debugging needs and the location of security boundaries and intermediaries.
Security: CBOR does not secure an IoT system
CBOR supplies encoding, not confidentiality, authentication or authorization. CoAP deployments must select an appropriate security architecture and account for constrained handshakes and implementations.
RFC 8613 specifies OSCORE, which protects CoAP at the application layer using COSE. This can preserve end-to-end protection across certain intermediaries. RFC 7252 also describes CoAP security modes and notes that DTLS handshakes and some cipher suites can impose significant overhead or implementation complexity for constrained nodes and networks. The right choice depends on where proxies sit, which endpoints must authenticate one another and how keys are provisioned.
What the current standards landscape says
CoAP is standardized in RFC 7252 (June 2014) and has subsequent updates and extensions. SenML is standardized in RFC 8428 (August 2018), and CBOR in RFC 8949 (December 2020). Resource Directory and block-wise transfer capabilities are covered by RFCs 9176 and 9177.
The latest design guidance considered here is draft-irtf-t2trg-rest-iot-19, dated June 2026 and expiring 30 December 2026. It is useful working guidance, not a completed IETF standard or proof of universal adoption.
Quick Recap
A practical decision checklist
- Define the resource. Identify URIs, operations, representations and error behavior before choosing an encoding.
- Choose the transfer protocol. Select HTTP, CoAP or another protocol based on network and device constraints, not on payload format alone.
- Choose a representation. Use JSON, CBOR, SenML/CBOR or another registered type that matches the data and available tooling.
- Declare media types. Ensure clients and servers agree on content format and acceptable representations.
- Check model fit. Use SenML for simple measurements; choose a different schema when the measurements are structurally complex.
- Design security separately. Decide whether transport protection, OSCORE or another mechanism provides the required endpoint and intermediary properties.
- Plan discovery and transfer limits. Consider Resource Directory support for sleeping nodes and block-wise transfer for larger payloads where needed.
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