expo-api-routes

When to Use API Routes

Use API routes when you need:

• Server-side secrets — API keys, database credentials, or tokens that must never reach the client
• Database operations — Direct database queries that shouldn't be exposed
• Third-party API proxies — Hide API keys when calling external services (OpenAI, Stripe, etc.)
• Server-side validation — Validate data before database writes
• Webhook endpoints — Receive callbacks from services like Stripe or GitHub
• Rate limiting — Control access at the server level
• Heavy computation — Offload processing that would be slow on mobile

When NOT to Use API Routes

Avoid API routes when:

• Data is already public — Use direct fetch to public APIs instead
• No secrets required — Static data or client-safe operations
• Real-time updates needed — Use WebSockets or services like Supabase Realtime
• Simple CRUD — Consider Firebase, Supabase, or Convex for managed backends
• File uploads — Use direct-to-storage uploads (S3 presigned URLs, Cloudflare R2)
• Authentication only — Use Clerk, Auth0, or Firebase Auth instead

File Structure

API routes live in the app directory with +api.ts suffix:

app/
  api/
    hello+api.ts          → GET /api/hello
    users+api.ts          → /api/users
    users/[id]+api.ts     → /api/users/:id
  (tabs)/
    index.tsx

Basic API Ro