Key points about Next.js API Routes
- File Structure: API routes are defined in individual files inside the `pages/api` directory. Each file represents a different API endpoint.
- Automatic Serverless Functions: Next.js automatically converts these API route files into serverless functions, meaning you don’t need to set up a separate server to handle API requests.
- HTTP Methods: You can define API routes for different HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc., by creating files with corresponding names (`get.js`, `post.js`, `put.js`, etc.) inside the `pages/api` directory.
- Request Handling: Inside each API route file, you can write server-side code to handle incoming HTTP requests, process data, interact with databases or external APIs, and send back responses.
- Routing: Next.js API Routes follow a simple routing structure based on file names. For example, a `pages/api/users.js` file will create an API endpoint at `/api/users`.
- Server-Side Rendering: Since API routes run on the server side, they can access server-only functionalities and databases, making them suitable for server-side rendering (SSR) and handling sensitive operations securely.
Here’s an example of a simple API route in Next.js:
// pages/api/hello.js
export default function handler(req, res) {
res.status(200).json({ message: 'Hello from the API!' });
}
In this example, visiting `/api/hello` in your Next.js application will trigger this API route, and it will respond with a JSON object containing the message “Hello from the API!”.
How to use Next.js API Routes?
Next.js API Routes are a feature of Next.js that allows you to create server-side logic and APIs within your Next.js application. These API routes are implemented using files in the `pages/api` directory of your Next.js project. When you deploy your Next.js application, these API routes are automatically served as serverless functions.
Table of Content
- Key points about Next.js API Routes
- Dynamic API Routes
- Creating an API Route
- API Routes custom configuration
- Typing API Routes with TypeScript
- Accessing an API Route
- Conclusion