
axum
Axum (Rust) web framework patterns for production APIs: routers/extractors, state, middleware, error handling, tracing, graceful shutdown, and testing
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skills --skill axum- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads axum automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Axum (Rust) - Production Web APIs
Overview
Axum is a Rust web framework built on Hyper and Tower. Use it for type-safe request handling with composable middleware, structured errors, and excellent testability.
Quick Start
Minimal server
✅ Correct: typed handler + JSON response
use axum::{routing::get, Json, Router};
use serde::Serialize;
use std::net::SocketAddr;
#[derive(Serialize)]
struct Health {
status: &'static str,
}
async fn health() -> Json<Health> {
Json(Health { status: "ok" })
}
#[tokio::main]
async fn main() {
let app = Router::new().route("/health", get(health));
let addr: SocketAddr = "0.0.0.0:3000".parse().unwrap();
let listener = tokio::net::TcpListener::bind(addr).await.unwrap();
axum::serve(listener, app).await.unwrap();
}
❌ Wrong: block the async runtime
async fn handler() {
std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_secs(1)); // blocks executor
}
Core Concepts
Router + handlers
Handlers are async functions that return something implementing IntoResponse.
✅ Correct: route nesting
use axum::{routing::get, Router};
fn router() -> Router {
let api = Router::new()
.route("/users", get(list_users))
.route("/users/:id", get(get_user));
Router::new().nest("/api/v1", api)
}
async fn list_users() -> &'static str { "[]" }
async fn get_user() -> &'static str { "{}" }
Extractors
Prefer extractors for parsing and validation at the boundary:
Path<T>: typed path paramsQuery<T>: query stringsJson<T>: JSON bodiesState<T>: shared application state
✅ Correct: typed path + JSON
use axum::{extract::Path, Json};
use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
#[derive(Deserialize)]
struct CreateUser {
email: String,
}
#[derive(Serialize)]
struct User {
id: String,
email: String,
}
async fn create_user(Json(body): Json<CreateUser>) -> Json<User> {
Json(User { id: "1".into(), email: body.email })
}
async fn get_user(Path(id): Path<String>) -> Json<User> {
Json(User { id, email: "a@example.com".into() })
}
Dependencies & Crate Structure
If your crate is published as a library in addition to being built as a binary, isolate the HTTP stack to avoid bloating library consumers.
✅ Correct: optional HTTP feature
[dependencies]
axum = { version = "0.7", optional = true }
tower-http = { version = "0.5", optional = true }
tokio = { version = "1", features = ["full"] }
[features]
default = ["http-server"]
http-server = ["axum", "tower-http"]
[[bin]]
name = "my-service"
required-features = ["http-server"]
This way:
- Library consumers (
cargo add my-lib) get just the core logic without the HTTP overhead. - Binary builds include the server by default:
cargo install my-crateworks as expected. - Opt-out is explicit:
cargo add my-crate --no-default-featuresfor library use.
❌ Wrong: unconditional HTTP dependencies
# Never do this if the crate is also a library:
axum = "0.7"
tower-http = "0.5"
# Library users now pull in the entire web stack
Production Patterns
1) Shared state (DB pool, config, clients)
Use State<Arc<AppState>> and keep state immutable where possible.
✅ Correct: AppState via Arc
use axum::{extract::State, routing::get, Router};
use std::sync::Arc;
#[derive(Clone)]
struct AppState {
build_sha: &'static str,
}
async fn version(State(state): State<Arc<AppState>>) -> String {
state.build_sha.to_string()
}
fn app(state: Arc<AppState>) -> Router {
Router::new().route("/version", get(version)).with_state(state)
}
2) Structured error handling (IntoResponse)
Centralize error mapping to HTTP status codes and JSON.
✅ Correct: AppError converts into response
use axum::{http::StatusCode, response::IntoResponse, Json};
use serde::Serialize;
#[derive(Debug)]
enum AppError {
NotFound,
BadRequest(&'static str),
Internal,
}
#[derive(Serialize)]
struct ErrorBody {
error: &'static str,
}
impl IntoResponse for AppError {
fn into_response(self) -> axum::response::Response {
let (status, msg) = match self {
AppError::NotFound => (StatusCode::NOT_FOUND, "not_found"),
AppError::BadRequest(_) => (StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST, "bad_request"),
AppError::Internal => (StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR, "internal"),
};
(status, Json(ErrorBody { error: msg })).into_response()
}
}
3) Middleware (Tower layers)
Use tower-http for production-grade layers: tracing, timeouts, request IDs, CORS.
✅ Correct: trace + timeout + CORS
use axum::{routing::get, Router};
use std::time::Duration;
use tower::ServiceBuilder;
use tower_http::{
cors::{Any, CorsLayer},
timeout::TimeoutLayer,
trace::TraceLayer,
};
fn app() -> Router {
let layers = ServiceBuilder::new()
.layer(TraceLayer::new_for_http())
.layer(TimeoutLayer::new(Duration::from_secs(10)))
.layer(CorsLayer::new().allow_origin(Any));
Router::new()
.route("/health", get(|| async { "ok" }))
.layer(layers)
}
4) Graceful shutdown
Terminate on SIGINT/SIGTERM and let in-flight requests drain.
✅ Correct: with_graceful_shutdown
async fn shutdown_signal() {
let ctrl_c = async {
tokio::signal::ctrl_c().await.ok();
};
#[cfg(unix)]
let terminate = async {
tokio::signal::unix::signal(tokio::signal::unix::SignalKind::terminate())
.ok()
.and_then(|mut s| s.recv().await);
};
#[cfg(not(unix))]
let terminate = std::future::pending::<()>();
tokio::select! {
_ = ctrl_c => {}
_ = terminate => {}
}
}
#[tokio::main]
async fn main() {
let app = app();
let listener = tokio::net::TcpListener::bind("0.0.0.0:3000").await.unwrap();
axum::serve(listener, app)
.with_graceful_shutdown(shutdown_signal())
.await
.unwrap();
}
Ops: Graceful Shutdown in Supervised Environments
Signal handling above is application-level. In production, your supervisor (systemd, launchd, container orchestrator) controls the actual termination window.
systemd (Linux): Set KillSignal=SIGTERM and TimeoutStopSec=120 (or higher) in your .service file.
- The default 90s timeout can fire mid-fsync on networked storage (EBS/EFS), truncating writes.
- 120s gives in-flight HTTP requests time to drain plus a safety margin for filesystem syncs.
launchd (macOS): Use launchctl bootout (sends SIGTERM and waits) instead of launchctl kickstart -k (SIGKILL, truncates in-flight I/O).
Client-side reconnection: Have HTTP clients and MCP bridges connecting to the service implement exponential backoff (starting 200ms, capped at 30s) so brief restarts are transparent and don't cascade errors upstream.
Testing
Test routers without sockets using tower::ServiceExt.
✅ Correct: request/response test
use axum::{body::Body, http::Request, Router};
use tower::ServiceExt;
#[tokio::test]
async fn health_returns_ok() {
let app: Router = super::app();
let res = app
.oneshot(Request::builder().uri("/health").body(Body::empty()).unwrap())
.await
.unwrap();
assert_eq!(res.status(), 200);
}
Decision Trees
Axum vs other Rust frameworks
- Prefer Axum for Tower middleware composition and typed extractors.
- Prefer Actix Web for a mature ecosystem and actor-style runtime model.
- Prefer Warp for functional filters and minimalism.
Anti-Patterns
- Block the async runtime (
std::thread::sleep, blocking I/O inside handlers). - Use
unwrap()in request paths; return structured errors instead. - Run without timeouts; add request timeouts and upstream deadlines.
Resources
- Axum docs: https://docs.rs/axum
- Tower HTTP layers: https://docs.rs/tower-http
- Tracing: https://docs.rs/tracing
FAQ
What does the axum skill do?
Axum (Rust) web framework patterns for production APIs: routers/extractors, state, middleware, error handling, tracing, graceful shutdown, and testing
How do I install axum?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skills --skill axum in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/axum/ (personal) or .claude/skills/axum/ (project).
Which AI agents can use axum?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is axum safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains axum?
It is published by bobmatnyc in bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skills. It has 486 recorded installs.
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