[TT-12871, DX-1784] Add explanation of path ordering before pattern matching

[andyo-tyk]

DX-1784

Preview Link

https://deploy-preview-5812--tyk-docs.netlify.app/docs/nightly/getting-started/key-concepts/url-matching/#pattern-ordering

Description

Adding explanation of URL ordering algorithm

---

PR Type

Documentation

---

Description

• Added a new section on "Path ordering" to explain how Tyk orders APIs and endpoints before matching requests.
• Detailed the steps and rules used for ordering, including handling of custom domains, path lengths, and dynamic segments.
• Included examples to clarify the ordering logic and its impact on routing.
• Enhanced the explanation of the structure of API requests with a reference to RFC 3986 for better understanding.
• Improved documentation to help users avoid accidental routing to incorrect endpoints.

---

Changes walkthrough 📝

Relevant files

Documentation

url-matching.md Added detailed documentation on path ordering and URL matching. tyk-docs/content/getting-started/key-concepts/url-matching.md Added explanation for handling similar paths in URL matching. Introduced a new section on "Path ordering" with detailed steps on how Tyk orders APIs and endpoints. Provided examples and rules for path ordering and matching logic. Clarified the structure of API requests with a reference to RFC 3986. +26/-1

---

💡 PR-Agent usage: Comment /help "your question" on any pull request to receive relevant information

[netlify]

✅ PS. Pls add /docs/nightly to the end of url

Name	Link
🔨 Latest commit	2b9c62d
🔍 Latest deploy log	https://app.netlify.com/sites/tyk-docs/deploys/6757119608e58a000826d906
😎 Deploy Preview	https://deploy-preview-5812--tyk-docs.netlify.app
📱 Preview on mobile	Toggle QR Code... Use your smartphone camera to open QR code link.

---

To edit notification comments on pull requests, go to your Netlify site configuration.

[netlify]

✅ PS. Pls add /docs/nightly to the end of url

Name	Link
🔨 Latest commit	2b9c62d
🔍 Latest deploy log	https://app.netlify.com/sites/tyk-docs/deploys/6757119608e58a000826d906
😎 Deploy Preview	https://deploy-preview-5812--tyk-docs.netlify.app
📱 Preview on mobile	Toggle QR Code... Use your smartphone camera to open QR code link.

---

To edit notification comments on pull requests, go to your Netlify site configuration.

[netlify]

✅ PS. Pls add /docs/nightly to the end of url

Name	Link
🔨 Latest commit	f3ed593
🔍 Latest deploy log	https://app.netlify.com/sites/tyk-docs/deploys/677ba155a491840008f1831d
😎 Deploy Preview	https://deploy-preview-5812--tyk-docs.netlify.app
📱 Preview on mobile	Toggle QR Code... Use your smartphone camera to open QR code link.

---

To edit notification comments on pull requests, go to your Netlify site configuration.

[github-actions]

PR Reviewer Guide 🔍

Here are some key observations to aid the review process:

⏱️ Estimated effort to review: 2 🔵🔵⚪⚪⚪

🧪 No relevant tests

🔒 No security concerns identified

⚡ Recommended focus areas for review Clarity of Path Ordering Explanation The newly added "Path ordering" section introduces a detailed explanation of the URL ordering algorithm. It is important to ensure that the explanation is clear, unambiguous, and easy to follow, especially for users unfamiliar with the topic. Verify that the examples provided effectively illustrate the rules and steps described. ## Path ordering Before attempting to [match](#pattern-matching) the incoming request to the various APIs deployed on Tyk to determine which route should be taken, Tyk will first place all the APIs in order. The order is important because the routing logic will compare the incoming request against each in turn until it finds a match (or returns `HTTP 404` if no match is found). On receipt of an API request Tyk firstly creates a list of all APIs and then iterates through the list for each of the following steps: 1. APIs that don't have a custom domain defined are moved to the end of the list 2. Then among each section (custom domain/no custom domain) it will sort by listen path length (longer paths first) - note that (dynamic) path parameters are not resolved at this stage so `/api/{category}/user` will rank higher than `/api/123/user` 3. Then, for each listen path it will sort the endpoints using these rules: - remove path parameters (dynamic segments) in the listen path - for example `/{id}` will be replaced with `/` - order by the number of segments (count of `/`) from most to least - e.g. `/api/user/profile` before `/api/user` - if two endpoints differ only by parameters, the non-parameterized goes first - e.g. `/api/user` before `/api/{userId}` - if two endpoints have the same number of segments, the longer path goes first - e.g. `/api/user-access` before `/api/user` - for equal length paths, lexicographical order is applied - e.g. `/api/aba` before `/api/abc` Having created the ordered list, Tyk will attempt to match the request against the paths (patterns) in the list, starting from the top and moving down the list. If a match is found, no further checks will be perfomed, so it is important to understand how Tyk orders the patterns to ensure there is no accidental routing to the wrong endpoint.

[github-actions]

PR Code Suggestions ✨

No code suggestions found for the PR.

[sharadregoti]

/release to release-5.7

[tykbot]

Working on it! Note that it can take a few minutes.

[tykbot]

@sharadregoti Succesfully merged PR