Build an API with Astro Actions

[stone crow]

I want to build an API for my Astro project.

Is Astro Actions reliable enough to create an API or should I use Astro's custom HTTP Endpoints?

I like how Astro Actions simplify definition , error handling and input validation.

The project currently is frontend + backend all inside Astro

[pale parrot]

Hi @stone crow. I'm kapa.ai, your friendly support bot. I will try to answer your question by searching through the knowledge base. :wave:

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Both options are valid, but they serve different purposes. Here's a breakdown to help you decide:

Astro Actions

Actions are purpose-built for type-safe backend communication within an Astro project. They offer:

• Automatic input validation via Zod schemas
• Standardized error handling with ActionError
• Type-safe client calls — no manual fetch() needed
• Support for both JSON and form data (accept: 'form')

[Actions guide]

A basic action looks like this:

// src/actions/index.ts
import { defineAction } from 'astro:actions';
import { z } from 'astro/zod';

export const server = {
  getGreeting: defineAction({
    input: z.object({
      name: z.string(),
    }),
    handler: async (input) => {
      return `Hello, ${input.name}!`;
    }
  })
}

You can call it from the client:

import { actions } from 'astro:actions';

const { data, error } = await actions.getGreeting({ name: "Houston" });

[Basic usage]

Security consideration

Actions are public endpoints accessible by their name (e.g., /_actions/blog.like). You must apply the same authorization checks you would for any API endpoint. You can authorize from within the handler using context.locals, or gate requests from middleware using getActionContext(). [Security]

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Custom HTTP Endpoints

Endpoints are better suited when you need:

• Full control over HTTP methods (GET, POST, DELETE, etc.)
• Custom response headers, status codes, or binary responses (e.g., images)
• A more traditional REST API structure

[Server Endpoints]

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Recommendation for your use case

Since your project is frontend + backend all inside Astro and you value simplified definition, error handling, and input validation, Astro Actions are a strong fit. They are designed exactly for seamless client-server communication within an Astro project.

However, if you need to expose endpoints to external consumers (e.g., third-party clients, mobile apps) that expect a standard REST API with precise HTTP semantics, custom endpoints may be more appropriate — or a combination of both.

Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: