What is the difference between web.php and api.php in Laravel routes?
Jul 18, 2025 am 03:41 AMIn Laravel, web.php is used to handle traditional webpage routing that requires sessions and return views, while api.php is used to handle stateless API requests. 1. web.php is aimed at browser interaction, returning HTML pages, dependent on sessions, CSRF protection and cookies; api.php is aimed at API requests, using token authentication, and not dependent on sessions. 2. web.php applies web middleware group, including session management, CSRF protection, etc.; api.php applies api middleware group, including current limiting, JSON parsing, etc. 3. If the routes in web.php involve session or closure reference session data, they cannot be cached; api.php routes are easier to cache because they are stateless. 4. api.php has the /api prefix by default, which facilitates logical separation of front and back-end routing; web.php has no default prefix.
In Laravel, the difference between web.php
and api.php
lies mainly in the type of routes they are intended for and the middleware applied to them by default.

1. Purpose: Web vs API Routes
web.php
is meant for routes that serve HTML pages — basically, anything that involves user interaction through a browser. These routes usually return views and maintain session state, CSRF protection, and cookies.
api.php
, on the other hand, is for stateless API routes — typically used for mobile apps, single-page applications (SPAs), or third-party services. These routes don't rely on sessions or cookies; instead, they often use tokens (like API keys or OAuth) for authentication.

2. Middleware Differences
Middleware is where the real distinction shows up.
-
web.php
routes automatically use the web middleware group , which includes:- Session management
- CSRF protection
- Cookie encryption
- View sharing
This is all useful when building traditional web applications.

-
api.php
routes use the api middleware group , which includes:- Rate limiting (via
throttle
) - Request parsing for JSON
- Stateless authentication (if configured)
- Rate limiting (via
These are helpful for handling HTTP requests that don't rely on sessions or cookies.
3. Route Caching Behavior
Another subtle but important difference has to do with route caching.
- Routes defined in
web.php
cannot be cached usingphp artisan route:cache
if they rely on session-related features or closings that reference session data. -
api.php
routes are generally easier to cache because they're usually stateless and use controller classes rather than closings.
So if you're building a large API and want to improve performance, defining routes in api.php
can be more efficient.
4. URL Prefix and Organization
By default, Laravel prefixes API routes with /api
— this is set in the RouteServiceProvider. So a route defined as /users
in api.php
becomes accessible at /api/users
.
Web routes don't have a default prefix, so they map directly to your URL structure. This helps separate your frontend and backend routes logically.
Basically, the choice between web.php
and api.php
comes down to what kind of response you're returning and how the route will be used. Keep your frontend-facing, session-based routes in web.php
, and your JSON-driven, stateless API endpoints in api.php
.
The above is the detailed content of What is the difference between web.php and api.php in Laravel routes?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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