How to Fix Missing API Routes File in Laravel 12

• Understanding API Routes in Laravel 12
• Why Did Laravel Remove api.php by Default?
• How to Add API Routes File in Laravel 12
• Best Practices for API Routes in Laravel 12
• Conclusion

Understanding API Routes in Laravel 12

If you’re working with Laravel 12 API routes and suddenly realize that the familiar routes/api.php file is missing, you’re not alone. Since Laravel 11, the framework no longer ships with an API routes file by default.

In this post, we’ll walk through why the change happened, how to properly set up API routes in Laravel 12, and how to fix common issues you might face.

Why Did Laravel Remove api.php by Default?

Laravel’s philosophy is to ship with a minimal, clean project structure. Since not all applications need APIs, the core team decided to exclude the api.php routes file by default, starting in Laravel 11. Instead, you can explicitly install API scaffolding when your project requires it.

This approach keeps new projects lightweight while still giving developers the tools they need when working with APIs.

How to Add API Routes File in Laravel 12

The solution is simple: generate the API routes file using the following artisan command:

Run the following command in your terminal:

php artisan install:api

This command will create a new routes/api.php file.

Once this is done, you can start defining your API routes in the api.php file as usual.

Example:

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;
 
Route::get('/users', function () {
    return [
        'name' => 'John Doe',
        'email' => '[email protected]'
    ];
});

When you visit /api/users, you should see the JSON response.

Best Practices for API Routes in Laravel 12

• Group routes by version – Example: /api/v1/users, /api/v2/users.
• Use controllers for logic – Avoid writing logic directly inside routes.
• Leverage resource routes – Use Route::apiResource() for cleaner REST APIs.
• Apply middleware – Secure your routes with authentication and rate limiting.

Example with a controller:

use App\Http\Controllers\Api\UserController;
 
Route::apiResource('users', UserController::class);

Conclusion

If the routes/api.php file is missing, remember that the api.php file isn’t included by default anymore. Just run php artisan install:api to bring it back and you’ll be ready to build your APIs.

With this change, Laravel keeps things minimal while still making it easy to set up robust APIs when you need them.