Explain the concept of versioning in RESTful APIs and its importance.

Versioning in RESTful APIs involves managing different versions of the API to accommodate changes while ensuring backward compatibility and not breaking existing client implementations. It allows API providers to introduce new features, update functionality, or fix issues without disrupting existing client applications. This is crucial for maintaining a stable and predictable API ecosystem, where clients can rely on consistent behavior despite changes in the underlying API implementation. Versioning also helps improve API documentation by clearly delineating changes between versions, aiding developers in understanding API updates and making informed decisions. While versioning indirectly impacts security and database optimization by enabling controlled changes, its primary focus is on maintaining API compatibility and developer experience.