# Create routes for HTTP APIs in API Gateway
<a name="http-api-develop-routes"></a>

Routes direct incoming API requests to backend resources. Routes consist of two parts: an HTTP method and a resource path—for example, `GET /pets`. You can define specific HTTP methods for your route. Or, you can use the `ANY` method to match all methods that you haven't defined for a resource. You can create a `$default` route that acts as a catch-all for requests that don’t match any other routes.

**Note**  
API Gateway decodes URL-encoded request parameters before passing them to your backend integration.

## Working with path variables
<a name="http-api-routes-path-variables"></a>

You can use path variables in HTTP API routes.

For example, the `GET /pets/{petID}` route catches a `GET` request that a client submits to `https://api-id.execute-api.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pets/6`. 

A *greedy path variable* catches all child resources of a route. To create a greedy path variable, add `+` to the variable name—for example, `{proxy+}`. The greedy path variable must be at the end of the resource path.

## Working with query string parameters
<a name="http-api-routes-query-string-parameters"></a>

By default, API Gateway sends query string parameters to your backend integration if they are included in a request to an HTTP API.

For example, when a client sends a request to `https://api-id.execute-api.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pets?id=4&type=dog`, the query string parameters `?id=4&type=dog` are sent to your integration.

## Working with the `$default` route
<a name="http-api-develop-routes.default"></a>

The `$default` route catches requests that don't explicitly match other routes in your API.

When the `$default` route receives a request, API Gateway sends the full request path to the integration. For example, you can create an API with only a `$default` route and integrate it on the `ANY` method with the `https://petstore-demo-endpoint.execute-api.com` HTTP endpoint. When you send a request to `https://api-id.execute-api.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/store/checkout`, API Gateway sends a request to `https://petstore-demo-endpoint.execute-api.com/store/checkout`.

To learn more about HTTP integrations, see [Create HTTP proxy integrations for HTTP APIs](http-api-develop-integrations-http.md).

## Routing API requests
<a name="http-api-develop-routes.evaluation"></a>

When a client sends an API request, API Gateway first determines which [stage](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/apigateway/latest/developerguide/http-api-stages.html) to route the request to. If the request explicitly matches a stage, API Gateway sends the request to that stage. If no stage fully matches the request, API Gateway sends the request to the `$default` stage. If there's no `$default` stage, then the API returns `{"message":"Not Found"}` and does not generate CloudWatch logs.

After selecting a stage, API Gateway selects a route. API Gateway selects the route with the most-specific match, using the following priorities:

1. Full match for a route and method.

1. Match for a route and method with a greedy path variable (`{proxy+}`).

1. The `$default` route.

If no routes match a request, API Gateway returns `{"message":"Not Found"}` to the client.

For example, consider an API with a `$default` stage and the following example routes:

1. `GET /pets/dog/1`

1. `GET /pets/dog/{id}`

1. `GET /pets/{proxy+}`

1. `ANY /{proxy+}`

1. `$default`

   The following table summarizes how API Gateway routes requests to the example routes.


| Request | Selected route | Explanation | 
| --- | --- | --- | 
|  `GET https://api-id.execute-api.region.amazonaws.com/pets/dog/1`  |  `GET /pets/dog/1`  |  The request fully matches this static route.  | 
|  `GET https://api-id.execute-api.region.amazonaws.com/pets/dog/2`  |  `GET /pets/dog/{id}`  |  The request fully matches this route.  | 
|  `GET https://api-id.execute-api.region.amazonaws.com/pets/cat/1`  |  `GET /pets/{proxy+}`  |  The request doesn't fully match a route. The route with a `GET` method and a greedy path variable catches this request.  | 
| `POST https://api-id.execute-api.region.amazonaws.com/test/5` | `ANY /{proxy+}` |  The `ANY` method matches all methods that you haven't defined for a route. Routes with greedy path variables have higher priority than the `$default` route.  |