# expo-api-routes

This skill tells the agent how to write server-side API routes in Expo Router and ship them to EAS Hosting. Useful when keys and database calls must stay off the client.

- skill · `type=skill` · Codex, ChatGPT · 1 install · ★ 7596
- Author: Expo Team · official OpenAI repository
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/openai/plugins/tree/HEAD/plugins/expo/skills/expo-api-routes/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-08
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/expo-api-routes

## What it does

The skill sets the rules for files with the `+api.ts` suffix inside the `app` directory. Each HTTP method is a named export: `GET`, `POST`, `PUT`, `DELETE`. Dynamic segments such as `app/api/users/[id]+api.ts` follow the same pattern.

It ships with examples for reading query parameters through `URL`, checking the `Authorization` header, parsing a JSON body, adding CORS headers and returning a 500 on failure. Secrets come from `process.env` — a `.env` file locally, `eas env:create` in production. Test with `npx expo serve`, deploy with `eas deploy`.

Routes run on Cloudflare Workers, so the `fs` module and native Node modules are unavailable and CPU work is capped at 30 seconds. The skill points to Web Crypto for hashing, plain `fetch` for HTTP and cloud databases like Turso or Cloudflare D1. If your app already queries the database straight from the client, that is worth a second look.

## Install

### Codex (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add openai/plugins --skill expo-api-routes -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/expo-api-routes/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Claude Code

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add openai/plugins --skill expo-api-routes -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/expo-api-routes/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/expo-api-routes/

### Cursor

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/expo-api-routes/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install openai/plugins expo-api-routes
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/expo-api-routes/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/openai/plugins --path plugins/expo/skills/expo-api-routes
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/expo-api-routes/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/openai/plugins/tree/HEAD/plugins/expo/skills/expo-api-routes/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- keep Anthropic and Stripe keys out of the client bundle
- receive webhooks from Stripe or GitHub
- validate input before writing to the database
- connect a cloud database to routes on Cloudflare Workers
- throttle access to an endpoint on the server side

## Example prompts
- Create an API route in app/api/hello+api.ts that returns a JSON greeting
- Add a POST handler in app/api/items+api.ts with field checks and a 400 on missing input
- Build a dynamic route app/api/users/[id]+api.ts and read id from the params

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: ffdc2bfc4f2169b8.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE ffdc2bfc4f2169b8
````text
---
name: expo-api-routes
description: Guidelines for creating API routes in Expo Router with EAS Hosting
version: 1.0.0
license: MIT
---

## 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({ message: "Hello from Expo!" });
}
```

## HTTP Methods

Export named functions for each HTTP method:

```ts
// app/api/items+api.ts
export function GET(request: Request) {
  return Response.json({ items: [] });
}

export async function POST(request: Request) {
  const body = await request.json();
  return Response.json({ created: body }, { status: 201 });
}

export async function PUT(request: Request) {
  const body = await request.json();
  return Response.json({ updated: body });
}

export async function DELETE(request: Request) {
  return new Response(null, { status: 204 });
}
```

## Dynamic Routes

```ts
// app/api/users/[id]+api.ts
export function GET(request: Request, { id }: { id: string }) {
  return Response.json({ userId: id });
}
```

## Request Handling

### Query Parameters

```ts
export function GET(request: Request) {
  const url = new URL(request.url);
  const page = url.searchParams.get("page") ?? "1";
  const limit = url.searchParams.get("limit") ?? "10";

  return Response.json({ page, limit });
}
```

### Headers

```ts
export function GET(request: Request) {
  const auth = request.headers.get("Authorization");

  if (!auth) {
    return Response.json({ error: "Unauthorized" }, { status: 401 });
  }

  return Response.json({ authenticated: true });
}
```

### JSON Body

```ts
export async function POST(request: Request) {
  const { email, password } = await request.json();

  if (!email || !password) {
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE ffdc2bfc4f2169b8

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the ffdc2bfc4f2169b8 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

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