Create CRUD API

When to Use

• Implementing CRUD operations for any resource
• Creating API endpoints for data management
• User asks to "add CRUD", "create an API", or "add endpoints"

Architecture

app/routes/api/[feature].ts     # Business Logic
  loader()  → GET (Read)
  action()  → POST/PUT/DELETE

app/models/[feature].server.ts  # Database Operations
app/lib/validations.ts          # Zod Schemas

Quick Start

1. Schema

// app/lib/validations.ts
export const createItemSchema = z.object({
    name: z.string().min(1, 'Name is required'),
});
export type CreateItemData = z.infer<typeof createItemSchema>;

2. Model Layer

// app/models/item.server.ts
import { prisma } from '~/db.server';

export function getItem(id: string) {
    return prisma.item.findUnique({ where: { id } });
}

export function createItem(userId: string, data: CreateItemData) {
    return prisma.item.create({ data: { ...data, userId } });
}

3. API Endpoint

// app/routes/api/items.ts
import { requireUser } from '~/lib/session.server';
import { validateFormData } from '~/lib/form-validation.server';

export async function loader({ request }: Route.LoaderArgs) {
    const user = await requireUser(request);
    return data({ items: await getItemsByUser(user.id) });
}

export async function action({ request }: Route.ActionArgs) {
    const user = await requireUser(request);

    if (request.method === 'POST') {
        const formData = await request.formData();
        const { data: validated, errors } = await validateFormData(
            formData, zodResolver(createItemSchema)
        );
        if (errors) return data({ errors }, { status: 400 });

        const item = await createItem(user.id, validated!);
        return data({ item }, { status: 201 });
    }

    // Handle PUT, DELETE similarly...
}

4. Register Route

// app/routes.ts
...prefix(Paths.API, [
    route('items', 'routes/api/items.ts'),
]),

Security Checklist

• Call

  requireUser(request)

  at start
• Check resource ownership before update/delete
• Validate all input with Zod schemas
• Use model layer (never call Prisma directly)

HTTP Methods

Method	Purpose	Success Code
GET	Read	200
POST	Create	201
PUT	Update	200
DELETE	Delete	200

Templates

• CRUD Endpoint Template

Full Reference

See

.github/instructions/crud-pattern.instructions.md

for:

• Error response patterns
• Pagination
• Filtering and sorting
• Complex authorization