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: