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Route Handler
A Route Handler is a Next.js file that responds to HTTP requests directly, letting a project expose its own API endpoints alongside its pages.
Prerequisite: Next.js route
What matters
This lets a single Next.js project serve both its user-facing pages and its backend API from the same codebase, without needing an entirely separate backend server.
Example
A file at 'app/api/posts/route.ts' can define a Route Handler that responds to GET and POST requests at the '/api/posts' endpoint.
Common misconception
A Route Handler is not the same as a page; a page renders UI for a browser, while a Route Handler returns raw data or another kind of response.
Recall question
What does a Route Handler let a Next.js project do that a page alone cannot?
Keywords and related concepts
Route HandlerNext.jsAPI routesnext.js route