Next.js
API Routes
A route.js file under app/api/... becomes a
real backend endpoint.
Example: a tiny API endpoint
// app/api/hello/route.js
export async function GET() {
return Response.json({ message: "Hello from the API!" });
}Export a function named after the HTTP method it should handle
(GET, POST, and so on — the same methods from
the backend track's requests-and-responses lesson), and return a
Response. A request to /api/hello now returns
real JSON, no separate backend server or separate deployment required —
this small project can keep its frontend and backend together in one
codebase, which is exactly why API routes are popular for small apps and
prototypes.
// app/api/hello/route.js
export async function GET() {
return Response.json({ message: "Hello from the API!" });
}A GET request to /api/hello returns: {"message": "Hello from the API!"}