Create Expo Router API routes and deploy them with EAS Hosting.
---
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… install to load the full skill