GET and POST

Learn to answer GET and POST requests.

GET and POST

You can define both GET and POST in an API route. GET usually reads data, POST writes new data. The same file has two separate export async functions.

The POST function reads the body with await request.json(). GET reads parameters from request.url or searchParams.

Returning proper status codes is good practice: 200 ok, 201 created, 400 bad request.

Response types

Next.js App Router API routes can return Response, NextResponse.json() or NextResponse.redirect(). NextResponse.json automatically adds JSON headers.

Example: return NextResponse.json({ ok: true }). To add a status code, use a second argument: { status: 201 }.

For plain text, new Response("...") is enough.

Exercise POST route

Write a POST function: take request, read the body with await request.json(), return NextResponse.json({ ok: true, received: data }, { status: 201 }). Include import { NextResponse } from "next/server". Make it export async.

Show example solution

// app/api/items/route.js
import { NextResponse } from "next/server";

export async function POST(request) {
  const data = await request.json();
  return NextResponse.json({ ok: true, received: data }, { status: 201 });
}

Test yourself

How to read the POST body?
- fetch()
- request.body
- useState
- await request.json()
Show answer

await request.json() — POST body = await request.json().

NextResponse json

import { NextResponse } from "next/server";

export async function POST(request) {
  const data = await request.json();
  return NextResponse.____({ ok: true, data });
}

Show answer

import { NextResponse } from "next/server";

export async function POST(request) {
  const data = await request.json();
  return NextResponse.json({ ok: true, data });
}

GET and POST: match the terms

Response

Raw response
NextResponse.json

JSON response
status 201

Created
await request.json

Body read

Next lesson: JSON response

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