API routes in Laravel - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the purpose of API routes in Laravel?

API routes in Laravel define endpoints that respond to HTTP requests, allowing clients to interact with the application programmatically, usually returning data in JSON format.

beginner

Where are API routes defined in a Laravel project?

API routes are defined in the routes/api.php file, which is separate from web routes and is intended for stateless API endpoints.

beginner

How do you define a GET API route in Laravel that returns a list of users?

You use Route::get('/users', [UserController::class, 'index']); inside routes/api.php. This sets up a GET endpoint at /api/users that calls the index method of UserController.

intermediate

What middleware is applied by default to API routes in Laravel?

By default, API routes use the api middleware group, which includes middleware like throttle:api to limit request rates and bindings for route model binding.

intermediate

How can you protect API routes in Laravel to require authentication?

You can add the auth:sanctum or auth:api middleware to your API routes to require users to be authenticated before accessing them.

Where should you define API routes in a Laravel project?

A public/index.php

B routes/web.php

C app/Http/Controllers

D routes/api.php

API routes belong in routes/api.php to separate them from web routes and apply API-specific middleware.

Which HTTP method is used to retrieve data from an API route?

A GET

B PUT

C POST

D DELETE

GET requests are used to retrieve data without changing anything on the server.

What middleware group is applied by default to Laravel API routes?

A web

B api

C guest

D auth

The api middleware group is applied by default to routes in routes/api.php.

How do you protect an API route to require user authentication?

A Add 'auth:sanctum' middleware

B Add 'auth' middleware

C Add 'guest' middleware

D No middleware needed

Using 'auth:sanctum' middleware ensures only authenticated users can access the route.

What URL prefix do Laravel API routes use by default?

A /app

B /web

C /api

D /public

Routes in routes/api.php are automatically prefixed with /api.

Explain how to create a simple API route in Laravel that returns a JSON list of products.

Think about the file location, HTTP method, and response format.

Describe how middleware helps secure API routes in Laravel.

Consider what happens before your API code runs.