Learn how to create and use API routes in Next.js. This guide covers setting up API routes, handling different HTTP methods, data fetching, common use cases, and best practices with code examples.
API routes in Next.js provide a robust way to build an API directly within your Next.js application, leveraging the serverless architecture
to handle server-side logic seamlessly. This guide will walk you through the essentials of creating and using API routes in Next.js,
complete with practical examples and best practices.
API routes in Next.js are server-side functions that handle HTTP requests. They are defined within the app/api directory and mapped to /api/* paths,
allowing you to create endpoints for various purposes such as data fetching, handling form submissions, or even creating microservices.
API Routes also enable you to handle requests with different HTTP methods. To achieve that, export a named function
with the HTTP method in uppercase.
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import { NextResponse } from "next/server";export async function GET(request) { return new NextResponse.json({ message: "This is a GET request" });}export async function POST(request) { const data = await request.json(); return NextResponse.json({ message: "Data received", data }, { status: 201, });}
This setup allows the API to respond appropriately based on the request method.
API routes are particularly useful for data fetching in Next.js applications, enabling server-side data handling without exposing sensitive
logic to the client.
And then the API route is defined in app/api/post/route.js as follows:
app/api/post/route.js
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export async function POST(request) { const { title, content } = await request.json(); // Save data to a database here ... return new Response(JSON.stringify({ message: 'Post created successfully' }), { headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' } });}
When using the Next.js API routes or developing any kind of backend APIs, it's important to stick to standardized
best practices. These include, but are not limited to:
Error Handling: Use try-catch blocks to handle errors gracefully.
Validation: Validate incoming data to prevent security issues.
Middleware: Implement middleware for logging, authentication, and more.
Security: Ensure your API routes are secure by validating input and protecting endpoints.
These practices will ensure your app is ready to be shipped for production.
import { revalidate } from 'next/cache';export async function GET(request) { const data = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data').then(res => res.json()); revalidate('/api/data'); // Revalidate the cache for this endpoint return new Response(JSON.stringify(data), { headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' } });}
To create a dynamic segment, you can wrap the folder's name in square brackets: [folderName].
For example, [id] or [slug]. The dynamic segment is then passed as the params prop
to the route handler. Here is an example of this:
app/api/user/[id]/route.js
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import { getUserById } from "./queries"export async function GET(request, { params }) { const { id } = params; const user = await getUserById(id); // Assume this function fetches user data return new Response(JSON.stringify(user), { headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' } });}
The request object passed to the Route Handler is a NextRequest instance,
which has some additional convenience methods, including ones for easier
handling of query parameters:
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export async function GET(request) { const { searchParams } = new URL(request.url); const query = searchParams.get('query'); const results = await search(query); // Assume this function searches based on query return new Response(JSON.stringify(results), { headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' } });}
API routes in Next.js 14 offer a seamless way to integrate server-side functionality within your React applications.
With the App Router, you can efficiently handle different HTTP methods, fetch data, and implement secure authentication mechanisms.
This guide provided you with the foundational knowledge and practical examples needed to start building and optimizing API routes in your Next.js projects.
By following these guidelines and examples, you can create robust and secure API routes that enhance the functionality of your Next.js applications.
For further reading and advanced topics, you can always refer to the official
Next.js API routes documentation. Thanks for reading and happy coding!