Backend and Storefront API module differences

Last updated: August 7, 2026

Edit on GitHub

Deprecation warning

The Glue-based Backend API infrastructure is deprecated; API Platform is the recommended infrastructure for new development. The Backend API application currently serves its endpoints on Glue: API Platform already supports the backend API type, but the Backend API modules shipped by Spryker have not been migrated yet. For the current per-module state, see Migration status - Glue API to API Platform.

The main difference between storefront and backend APIs is in the base classes that each type of module uses. Because storefront APIs remain lightweight. Backend APIs are getting abstract classes that have access to Facades from other modules.

The following table shows classes to use for the backend and storefront:

CLASS	STOREFRONT	BACKEND
AbstractFactory	`\Spryker\Glue\Kernel\AbstractFactory`	`\Spryker\Glue\Kernel\Backend\AbstractFactory`
AbstractBundleDependencyProvider	`\Spryker\Glue\Kernel\AbstractBundleDependencyProvider`	`\Spryker\Glue\Kernel\Backend\AbstractBundleDependencyProvider`
Container	`\Spryker\Glue\Kernel\Container`	`\Spryker\Glue\Kernel\Backend\Container`
AbstractPlugin	`\Spryker\Glue\Kernel\AbstractPlugin`	`\Spryker\Glue\Kernel\Backend\AbstractPlugin`

Storefront and backend classes MUST be in different modules. For storefront, it should be ResourceNameRestApi, and for backend ResourceNameBackendApi.

Let’s go through the creation of backend module infrastructure classes:

\Pyz\Glue\CustomBackendApi\CustomBackendApiDependencyProvider:

<?php

namespace Pyz\Glue\CustomBackendApi;

use Spryker\Glue\Kernel\Backend\AbstractBundleDependencyProvider;
use Spryker\Glue\Kernel\Backend\Container;

class CustomBackendApiDependencyProvider extends AbstractBundleDependencyProvider
{
    public const FACADE_CUSTOMER = 'FACADE_CUSTOMER';

    /**
     * @param \Spryker\Glue\Kernel\Backend\Container $container
     *
     * @return \Spryker\Glue\Kernel\Backend\Container
     */
    public function provideBackendDependencies(Container $container): Container
    {
        $container = parent::provideBackendDependencies($container);
        $container = $this->addCustomerFacade($container);

        return $container;
    }

    /**
     * @param \Spryker\Glue\Kernel\Backend\Container $container
     *
     * @return \Spryker\Glue\Kernel\Backend\Container
     */
    protected function addCustomerFacade(Container $container): Container
    {
        $container->set(static::FACADE_CUSTOMER, function (Container $container) {
            return $container->getLocator()->customer()->facade();
        });

        return $container;
    }
}

In the backend dependency provider, the backend container can resolve facades.

The function to provide backend dependencies is provideBackendDependencies.

Factory:

\Pyz\Glue\CustomBackendApi\CustomApiApplicationFactory

<?php

namespace Pyz\Glue\CustomBackendApi;

use Spryker\Glue\Kernel\Backend\AbstractFactory;
use Spryker\Zed\Customer\Business\CustomerFacadeInterface;

class CustomApiApplicationFactory extends AbstractFactory
{
    /**
     * @return \Spryker\Zed\Customer\Business\CustomerFacadeInterface
     */
    public function getCustomerFacade(): CustomerFacadeInterface
    {
        return $this->getProvidedDependency(CustomBackendApiDependencyProvider::FACADE_CUSTOMER);
    }
}

Backend AbstractFactory has access to backend Container.

Let’s see what AbstractPlugin allows you to access:

\Pyz\Glue\CustomApiApplication\Plugin\CustomApiGlueContextExpanderPlugin

<?php

namespace Pyz\Glue\CustomApiApplication\Plugin;

use Generated\Shared\Transfer\GlueApiContextTransfer;
use Spryker\Glue\GlueApplicationExtension\Dependency\Plugin\GlueContextExpanderPluginInterface;
use Spryker\Glue\Kernel\Backend\AbstractPlugin;

/**
 * @method \Pyz\Zed\CustomApiApplication\Business\CustomApiApplicationFacadeInterface getFacade()
 * @method \Pyz\Glue\CustomApiApplication\CustomApiApplicationFactory getFactory()
 * @method \Pyz\Zed\CustomApiApplication\Persistence\CustomApiApplicationRepositoryInterface getRepository()
 * @method \Pyz\Zed\CustomApiApplication\Persistence\CustomApiApplicationEntityManagerInterface getEntityManager()
 */
class CustomApiGlueContextExpanderPlugin extends AbstractPlugin implements GlueContextExpanderPluginInterface
{
    public function expand(GlueApiContextTransfer $glueApiContextTransfer): GlueApiContextTransfer
    {
        $this->getFacade();
        $this->getRepository();
        $this->getEntityManager();

        return $glueApiContextTransfer;
    }
}

The concrete plugin interface here is implemented just as an example to demonstrate that Facade, Repository, and EntityManager of the module are directly accessible from any Glue backend plugin.

Backend and Storefront API module differences

Thank you!