Next.js API Routes

Overview

Next.js provides a serverless API route that allows you to write server-side code that can be used for fetching data or for running server-side logic. API routes enable building fully functional APIs without setting up an explicit server.

Syntax

Next.js API routes consist of a single file inside a pages/api folder. In this file, you can export asynchronous functions that listen on HTTP requests, and then you can run your server-side code inside them.

export default async function handler(req, res) {
  // Code to handle the request
}

Example

export default async function handler(req, res) {
  const data = { message: "Hello, world!" }
  res.status(200).json(data)
}

Here, we are returning a JSON response with a message property set to "Hello, world!".

Output

When we hit the URL /api/hello (assuming the filename of the API route is hello.js), we will get the following JSON response:

{
    "message": "Hello, world!"
}

Explanation

When you create an API route with Next.js, you are creating an endpoint where you can handle HTTP requests with server-side code. You can use API routes for fetching data from databases or other APIs, running background tasks, or performing other server-side operations.

Use

Next.js API routes provide a fast and simple way to create server-side endpoints. Use them to fetch and transform data, run background tasks, or perform other operations that require server-side processing.

Important Points

• API routes are automatically compiled at build time, so they are generally faster than dynamic routes.
• API routes must be located inside the pages/api folder in your project.
• You cannot use API routes for client-side routing, as they are server-side endpoints.
• You can add additional middleware to API routes to handle authentication, rate-limiting, and other server-side tasks.

Summary

Next.js API routes provide a quick and easy way to create server-side endpoints for your application. With just a few lines of code, you can write server-side logic, fetch and transform data, and perform other server-side operations. Use API routes when you need to add server-side functionality to your Next.js application.