tRPC: end-to-end types without GraphQL

tRPC wires TypeScript types from server procedures to client callers over HTTP—no code generation step, strong autocomplete, and optional Zod validation on inputs.

Router shape#

import { initTRPC } from '@trpc/server';
import { z } from 'zod';

const t = initTRPC.context<Context>().create();

export const appRouter = t.router({
  hello: t.procedure.input(z.object({ name: z.string() })).query(({ input }) => {
    return `Hello ${input.name}`;
  }),
});

export type AppRouter = typeof appRouter;

Client infers AppRouter types via @trpc/react-query or vanilla client.

Context#

Inject user, db, and logger in createContext per request—keep procedures thin and test context builders in isolation.

Public APIs#

tRPC shines for first-party apps. For third-party integrators, still expose OpenAPI/REST or webhooks—do not force external teams into your TS router.

Summary#

tRPC minimizes contract drift between front and back on the same repo. Pair with Zod, version breaking procedure changes consciously, and keep a clear boundary where public HTTP must remain stable.