Next.js offers an innovative solution for integrating API endpoints into a Next.js application through API Routes. This feature allows developers to implement server-side logic and endpoints directly within a Next.js project, eliminating the need for a separate backend server for many use cases. This chapter provides an introduction to API Routes in Next.js.
API Routes enable you to create API endpoints as part of your Next.js application. These endpoints can be used for various tasks like fetching data, processing information, or interacting with external APIs.
File Structure: API Routes are created in the
pages/api directory of your Next.js application. Each
JavaScript or TypeScript file in this directory becomes an API
endpoint.
Example: A file pages/api/user.js
becomes an API endpoint at /api/user.
Request and Response: Each API route receives
two arguments: req (the request) and res (the
response). These correspond to the Request and Response objects in
Node.js.
export default function handler(req, res) {
res.status(200).json({ name: 'John Doe' });
}Method Handling: In the API route, you can define different actions based on the HTTP method of the request (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.).
export default function handler(req, res) {
if (req.method === 'POST') {
// Handle POST request
} else if (req.method === 'GET') {
// Handle GET request
}
}