Why does Nextjs offer an API folder when APIs can live on the back end?

Question

Does Nextjs make an app truly serverless by not requiring a backend? How would I connect to postgres database from the frontend directly?I have a lot of business logic that needs to live on the backend

acemarke · Accepted Answer

Because the `/pages/api` folder _lets_ you create a backend, very similar to any other web app server (ie, Express).You are not _required_ to use that feature, but if you choose to use it, _that_ is where you'd do all your standard DB connections and returning JSON responses.

gerardnico · Answer

Nextjs is a backend application and runs its own http server.You can connect to any database via a tunnel (cloudflare, ...) Or directly with certificate/credentials ( your DB server should allow only connection from the network where you host nextjs)

Why does Nextjs offer an API folder when APIs can live on the back end?

Does Nextjs make an app truly serverless by not requiring a backend? How would I connect to postgres database from the frontend directly?
I have a lot of business logic that needs to live on the backend

Because the `/pages/api` folder _lets_ you create a backend, very similar to any other web app server (ie, Express).
You are not _required_ to use that feature, but if you choose to use it, _that_ is where you'd do all your standard DB connections and returning JSON responses.

Nextjs is a backend application and runs its own http server.
You can connect to any database via a tunnel (cloudflare, ...) Or directly with certificate/credentials ( your DB server should allow only connection from the network where you host nextjs)