Serialization

SaaS Foundation serializes data whenever it crosses from the backend to the frontend. A serializer turns a Prisma result into the public shape used by the presentation layer.

Serialize every response

API routes do not return raw Prisma models. Each result passes through a serializer before it is added to a standard API response.

export function serializeOrganization(organization) {
  return {
    id: organization.id,
    name: organization.name,
    slug: organization.slug,
    createdAt: organization.createdAt.toISOString(),
  };
}

This gives you one place to see exactly what the frontend receives. It also makes it easy to omit private fields, rename fields, convert dates, include computed values, or reshape related records.

Use public types

The final serialized shapes live in src/types/. Serializers declare those types as their output, and API services and frontend components consume the same types.

src/serializers/organizationSerializer.ts
src/types/organization.ts

Keeping Prisma models behind this boundary prevents database implementation details from becoming accidental frontend contracts.

Use the same boundary for Server Components

Serializers are not limited to API responses. When a Server Component loads data and passes it to a Client Component, the data crosses a backend-to-frontend boundary as well. SaaS Foundation uses the same serializers for that boundary. API responses and serialized Server Component props therefore share predictable frontend types.

Serialize lists and details

Detail routes serialize one record. List routes serialize every result before adding pagination metadata.

return paginatedResponse(data.map(serializeOrganization), {
  page,
  perPage,
  total,
});

See API format for the response envelopes that contain these serialized values.

Getting Started

Core concepts

Architecture

API

Authentication

Configuration

Serialize every response

Use public types

Use the same boundary for Server Components

Serialize lists and details

​Serialize every response

​Use public types

​Use the same boundary for Server Components

​Serialize lists and details

Serialize every response

Use public types

Use the same boundary for Server Components

Serialize lists and details