fastify/docs/Reference/Middleware.md

Fast and low overhead web framework, for Node.js

<h1 align="center">Fastify</h1>

## Middleware

Starting with Fastify v3.0.0, middleware is not supported out of the box and
requires an external plugin such as
[`@fastify/express`](https://github.com/fastify/fastify-express) or
[`@fastify/middie`](https://github.com/fastify/middie).


An example of registering the
[`@fastify/express`](https://github.com/fastify/fastify-express) plugin to `use`
Express middleware:

```js
await fastify.register(require('@fastify/express'))
fastify.use(require('cors')())
fastify.use(require('dns-prefetch-control')())
fastify.use(require('frameguard')())
fastify.use(require('hsts')())
fastify.use(require('ienoopen')())
fastify.use(require('x-xss-protection')())
```

[`@fastify/middie`](https://github.com/fastify/middie) can also be used,
which provides support for simple Express-style middleware with improved
performance:

```js
await fastify.register(require('@fastify/middie'))
fastify.use(require('cors')())
```

Middleware can be encapsulated, allowing control over where it runs using
`register` as explained in the [plugins guide](../Guides/Plugins-Guide.md).

Fastify middleware does not expose the `send` method or other methods specific
to the Fastify [Reply](./Reply.md#reply) instance. This is because Fastify wraps
the incoming `req` and `res` Node instances using the
[Request](./Request.md#request) and [Reply](./Reply.md#reply) objects
internally, but this is done after the middleware phase. To create middleware,
use the Node `req` and `res` instances. Alternatively, use the `preHandler` hook
that already has the Fastify [Request](./Request.md#request) and
[Reply](./Reply.md#reply) instances. For more information, see
[Hooks](./Hooks.md#hooks).

#### Restrict middleware execution to certain paths
<a id="restrict-usage"></a>

To run middleware under certain paths, pass the path as the first parameter to
`use`.

> 🛈 Note: This does not support routes with parameters
> (e.g. `/user/:id/comments`) and wildcards are not supported in multiple paths.

```js
const path = require('node:path')
const serveStatic = require('serve-static')

// Single path
fastify.use('/css', serveStatic(path.join(__dirname, '/assets')))

// Wildcard path
fastify.use('/css/(.*)', serveStatic(path.join(__dirname, '/assets')))

// Multiple paths
fastify.use(['/css', '/js'], serveStatic(path.join(__dirname, '/assets')))
```

### Alternatives

Fastify offers alternatives to commonly used middleware, such as
[`@fastify/helmet`](https://github.com/fastify/fastify-helmet) for
[`helmet`](https://github.com/helmetjs/helmet),
[`@fastify/cors`](https://github.com/fastify/fastify-cors) for
[`cors`](https://github.com/expressjs/cors), and
[`@fastify/static`](https://github.com/fastify/fastify-static) for
[`serve-static`](https://github.com/expressjs/serve-static).