Question
In production, can I just use my droplets IP instead of assigning a domain name?
I’m creating a backend API for a mobile app. Instead of mydomain.com/api … is it okay and technically viable, for example, to use 415.21.23.235/api instead? Are there any security risks, downtime, disadvantages, etc?
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The disadvantage is durability and scaling - in a way.
If you link a domain to it, then you can host the app anywhere and move it around from different providers even because all you have to do is change an A record for your DNS.
Of course, the advantage is that on the consumer end a DNS lookup does not need to happen but this is a very, very small advantage.