data.txt

---
title: Route Handlers
description: Create custom request handlers for a given route using the Web's Request and Response APIs.
related:
  title: API Reference
  description: Learn more about the route.js file.
  links:
    - app/api-reference/file-conventions/route
---

Route Handlers allow you to create custom request handlers for a given route using the Web [Request](https://developer.mozilla.org/docs/Web/API/Request) and [Response](https://developer.mozilla.org/docs/Web/API/Response) APIs.

<Image
  alt="Route.js Special File"
  srcLight="/docs/light/route-special-file.png"
  srcDark="/docs/dark/route-special-file.png"
  width="1600"
  height="444"
/>

> **Good to know**: Route Handlers are only available inside the `app` directory. They are the equivalent of [API Routes](/docs/pages/building-your-application/routing/api-routes) inside the `pages` directory meaning you **do not** need to use API Routes and Route Handlers together.

## Convention

Route Handlers are defined in a [`route.js|ts` file](/docs/app/api-reference/file-conventions/route) inside the `app` directory:

```ts filename="app/api/route.ts" switcher
export async function GET(request: Request) {}
```

```js filename="app/api/route.js" switcher
export async function GET(request) {}
```

Route Handlers can be nested anywhere inside the `app` directory, similar to `page.js` and `layout.js`. But there **cannot** be a `route.js` file at the same route segment level as `page.js`.

### Supported HTTP Methods

The following [HTTP methods](https://developer.mozilla.org/docs/Web/HTTP/Methods) are supported: `GET`, `POST`, `PUT`, `PATCH`, `DELETE`, `HEAD`, and `OPTIONS`. If an unsupported method is called, Next.js will return a `405 Method Not Allowed` response.

### Extended `NextRequest` and `NextResponse` APIs

In addition to supporting the native [Request](https://developer.mozilla.org/docs/Web/API/Request) and [Response](https://developer.mozilla.org/docs/Web/API/Response) APIs, Next.js extends them with [`NextRequest`](/docs/app/api-reference/functions/next-request) and [`NextResponse`](/docs/app/api-reference/functions/next-response) to provide convenient helpers for advanced use cases.