expo-api-routeslisted

## 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 Route ```ts // app/api/hello+api.ts export function GET(request: Request) { return Response.json({ m