Manually defining URL patterns for every view in your API can get repetitive and error-prone. That’s why Django REST Framework offers routers—a powerful way to automatically generate URL patterns for your ViewSets.

In this article, you'll learn:

• What routers are in DRF

• How they work with ViewSets

• Types of routers

• Step-by-step setup with examples

• Tips and common pitfalls

What Are Routers?

In DRF, routers automatically generate URL patterns for ViewSets, mapping HTTP methods to actions like .list(), .retrieve(), .create(), etc.

Instead of writing this:

urlpatterns = [
    path('books/', BookListView.as_view()),
    path('books/<int:pk>/', BookDetailView.as_view()),
]

You can do this:

router = DefaultRouter()
router.register(r'books', BookViewSet)

urlpatterns = [
    path('', include(router.urls)),
]

✅ It’s cleaner
✅ Less boilerplate
✅ Automatically handles RESTful conventions

Prerequisites

You should already have:

• A Django model (e.g., Book)

• A serializer (e.g., BookSerializer)

• A ViewSet (e.g., BookViewSet using ModelViewSet)

Step-by-Step Example

1. Create the Model

# models.py
from django.db import models

class Book(models.Model):
    title = models.CharField(max_length=100)
    author = models.CharField(max_length=100)

2. Create the Serializer

# serializers.py
from rest_framework import serializers
from .models import Book

class BookSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
    class Meta:
        model = Book
        fields = '__all__'

3. Create the ViewSet

# views.py
from rest_framework.viewsets import ModelViewSet
from .models import Book
from .serializers import BookSerializer

class BookViewSet(ModelViewSet):
    queryset = Book.objects.all()
    serializer_class = BookSerializer

4. Register with a Router

# urls.py
from django.urls import path, include
from rest_framework.routers import DefaultRouter
from .views import BookViewSet

router = DefaultRouter()
router.register(r'books', BookViewSet)

urlpatterns = [
    path('', include(router.urls)),
]

✅ Now you get all these routes:

Types of Routers in DRF

1. DefaultRouter

• Adds a default API root view (e.g., "/")

• Automatically handles all ViewSet actions

from rest_framework.routers import DefaultRouter
router = DefaultRouter()

2. SimpleRouter

• Same as DefaultRouter, but no root view

• Use this when you don't want an API root (/)

from rest_framework.routers import SimpleRouter
router = SimpleRouter()

3. Custom Routers

• You can create your own router by subclassing BaseRouter or SimpleRouter.

⚠️ Common Pitfalls

Tips and Best Practices

• ✅ Use routers + ViewSets for fast CRUD development.

• ✅ Use explicit URL patterns if you need fine-grained control.

• ✅ Prefer DefaultRouter during development—it gives you an API root.

• ✅ Name your ViewSets clearly to avoid confusion (e.g., BookViewSet).

Summary

Routers save time, reduce duplication, and enforce RESTful patterns. If you're building APIs with Django REST Framework, routers are your best friend.

What’s Next?

You might want to explore:

• Customizing router routes with basename

• Adding extra actions to ViewSets using @action

• Building nested routes with drf-nested-routers