Route Handler Pattern

Type-safe REST API endpoints using Next.js App Router route handlers with Zod validation, authentication, and structured error handling.

What's Included#

• Basic CRUD route handlers (GET, POST, PATCH, DELETE) in the app/api directory
• Dynamic route handlers with parameter extraction
• Zod schema validation for request bodies
• Authentication checks before processing requests
• Error handling wrapper that catches Zod, auth, and unknown errors
• Proper HTTP status codes and JSON response formatting

Usage#

Via CLI#

Via AI Assistant#

Ask your AI assistant:

• "Use the route handler pattern from Bootspring"
• "Apply the Bootspring route handler pattern to my project"

Key Considerations#

• Always validate input with Zod or a similar library for both request bodies and query parameters
• Return consistent error responses with appropriate HTTP status codes
• Check authentication at the beginning of every protected route handler
• Keep handlers focused on a single responsibility
• Log server errors for debugging while returning generic messages to clients
• Consider adding rate limiting to protect endpoints from abuse

Related Patterns#

• Server Action - Alternative for form submissions and mutations
• Middleware - Request preprocessing and authentication
• Error Handling - Consistent error response formats
• Rate Limiting - Protect APIs from abuse