Next.js API Routes and Route Handlers

Building APIs in Next.js

Next.js lets you build backend API endpoints alongside your frontend — no separate server needed. The App Router uses Route Handlers.

A Route Handler

// app/api/users/route.ts
export async function GET() {
  const users = await db.getUsers();
  return Response.json(users);
}

export async function POST(request: Request) {
  const body = await request.json();
  const user = await db.createUser(body);
  return Response.json(user, { status: 201 });
}

Dynamic Routes

// app/api/users/[id]/route.ts
export async function GET(req, { params }) {
  const user = await db.getUser(params.id);
  return Response.json(user);
}

Supported Methods

Export functions named GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE — each handles that HTTP method.

FAQs

Route Handlers vs Server Actions?

Use Route Handlers for public APIs; Server Actions for form mutations. More in our Next.js guides.

Can I read query params?

Yes — via new URL(request.url).searchParams.