🚦 Routing in Laravel - web.php vs api.php

If you're just starting with Laravel, one of the first questions that might pop up is:

What’s the difference between web.php and api.php in the routes folder?

Don’t worry — this guide will help you clearly understand their purpose and when to use which one.

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🗂️ Where Are These Route Files?

Laravel keeps its route definitions inside the routes/ directory. Out of the box, you’ll find:

• web.php: Routes for traditional web interfaces.
• api.php: Routes for RESTful APIs or mobile app endpoints.

Both files are automatically loaded by Laravel and serve different types of requests using different middleware stacks.

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⚙️ Core Differences Between web.php and api.php

1. Middleware Groups

• web.php routes use the web middleware group.

  • Includes session state
  • Cookie encryption
  • CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) protection
  • Flash messages and other UI-focused features

• api.php routes use the api middleware group.

  • Designed for stateless API communication
  • Includes rate limiting
  • Often uses token-based authentication

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2. URL Prefix

• web.php routes have no default prefix.

  • Example: https://example.com/home

• api.php routes are automatically prefixed with /api.

  • Example: https://example.com/api/users

You can customize this behavior, but Laravel gives this convention out-of-the-box to differentiate APIs from web routes.

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3. Use Cases

Scenario	Use web.php	Use api.php
Building a traditional web app	✅ Yes	❌ Not ideal
Handling forms with CSRF	✅ Yes	❌ No CSRF in stateless APIs
Serving data to a mobile app	❌ Not recommended	✅ Yes
Stateless REST API	❌	✅ Best suited
Using sessions or flash messages	✅	❌ APIs are stateless

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🧪 Sample Code Comparison

In web.php:

Route::get('/dashboard', [DashboardController::class, 'index']);

In api.php:

Route::get('/users', [UserController::class, 'index']);

Notice how the api.php route will automatically be accessed at /api/users unless you remove or customize the prefix.

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💡 Bonus Tip: Create Custom Route Files

As your app grows, you might want to split route files for clarity and structure. You can register your own files in RouteServiceProvider:

Route::middleware('web')
    ->group(base_path('routes/admin.php'));

This is helpful for organizing by role, module, or section of your application.

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✅ Final Thoughts

Understanding the difference between web.php and api.php helps you:

• Avoid misusing middleware
• Improve security
• Write more maintainable code
• Serve both UI and API clients correctly

Whether you're building a full-stack app, a SPA, or an API for a mobile client — Laravel gives you clear tools to route traffic efficiently.

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🆕 Note for Laravel 11 Users

⚠️ Laravel 11 no longer includes api.php by default.

But don’t worry — you can generate it using a simple Artisan command:

php artisan install:api

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🔁 Your Turn

Which one do you find yourself using more often — web.php or api.php?
Let me know in the comments, and feel free to share your own routing tips!

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#Laravel #PHP #WebDevelopment #Backend #LaravelTips #Routing #BeginnerFriendly #API #devto #Medium #Hashnode #Substack

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