How to Group API Routes with a Prefix in Laravel

Table Of Contents

• Problem
• Solution
• Why It Works

Problem

Your API routes are scattered and you need to organize them with consistent prefixes like /api/v1/ for better structure and versioning.

Solution

Use Route::prefix() to group routes with a common prefix:

// routes/api.php
Route::prefix('v1')->group(function () {
    Route::get('/users', [UserController::class, 'index']);
    Route::post('/users', [UserController::class, 'store']);
    Route::get('/users/{user}', [UserController::class, 'show']);
});

// Generates: /api/v1/users, /api/v1/users/{user}

Combine with middleware and namespaces:

Route::prefix('v1')
    ->middleware(['auth:sanctum', 'throttle:60,1'])
    ->name('api.v1.')
    ->group(function () {
        Route::apiResource('users', UserController::class);
        Route::apiResource('posts', PostController::class);
    });

// Generates named routes: api.v1.users.index, api.v1.users.store, etc.

Multiple API versions:

// Version 1
Route::prefix('v1')->name('api.v1.')->group(function () {
    Route::get('/users', [V1\UserController::class, 'index']);
});

// Version 2
Route::prefix('v2')->name('api.v2.')->group(function () {
    Route::get('/users', [V2\UserController::class, 'index']);
});

Why It Works

Route prefixes prepend a string to all routes within the group. Laravel automatically combines the base /api prefix (from RouteServiceProvider) with your custom prefix. This creates clean, organized URLs while keeping your route definitions maintainable.

Advanced grouping with multiple attributes:

Route::group([
    'prefix' => 'admin/v1',
    'middleware' => ['auth:sanctum', 'admin'],
    'namespace' => 'Admin',
    'as' => 'admin.api.'
], function () {
    Route::get('/dashboard', 'DashboardController@index');
    Route::apiResource('users', 'UserController');
});

Related: Laravel Collections: Beyond Basic Array Operations | Database Design: Fundamentals of Good Database Architecture | Laravel API Development: Best Practices and Security | Implementing API Versioning in Laravel: Multiple Strategies | Laravel Route Model Binding: Beyond the Basics