Cursor API rescue

Cursor API routes work locally but fail in production

Cursor handles API routing in its local dev environment. After deploy, API routes need proper server config, runtime settings, and environment variables to work.

What is probably broken

The frontend loads but every API call returns 500 or 404 because the server cannot route or execute the API functions.

What production should look like

API routes working correctly on the production server with proper routing and environment.

STEP 01

Identify the API framework

Cursor may use different API patterns depending on the app stack.

  • Check if the app uses Next.js API routes, Express, Hono, or another framework.
  • Find the server entry point and understand the routing setup.
  • List all API endpoints and their expected request and response shapes.

STEP 02

Configure the server runtime

The server needs the right runtime to execute API routes.

  • Install all dependencies including server-side packages.
  • Set the correct start command that launches both frontend and API routes.
  • Load environment variables from the server, not from local files.

STEP 03

Test every API endpoint

Verify each API route responds correctly before going live.

  • Test each endpoint with curl or Postman using the production URL.
  • Check server logs for errors on each request.
  • Verify database connections, auth checks, and external API calls work.

Quick check

Is your app production-ready?

If you cannot tick all five, we can fix it. Send us the repo and we handle the rest.

  • ?Custom domain with HTTPS
  • ?Environment variables configured
  • ?Database wired and backed up
  • ?Auto-deploy on push
  • ?Smoke tested and live

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