Route Handlers Explained in Next.js 16 (Beginner’s Guide)

A client needed a public endpoint for Stripe webhooks, and a Server Action wouldn’t work because it has no callable URL. That’s where Route Handlers come in. This guide covers the route.ts convention, HTTP methods, reading query params and JSON bodies, caching with Cache Components, raw-body webhook handling, and CORS, plus a clear rule for when to use Route Handlers vs. Server Actions. Published on DevStacked, my developer blog covering practical Next.js and SaaS implementation guides.

Link: https://devstacked.tech/blog/nextjs-16-route-handlers