---
title: "What is HTTP serving for tables?"
description: "HTTP serving exposes insert, query, and computed results as routes from the same schema that defines the tables."
url: "https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-http-serving"
updated: "2026-09-29"
vertical: "Serving"
doc: "https://docs.pixeltable.com/platform/cli#serving"
---

# What is HTTP serving for tables?

HTTP serving exposes insert, query, and computed results as routes from the same schema that defines the tables.

Updated: 2026-09-29


## On this page

- [How it works](https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-http-serving#how-it-works)
- [What it is not](https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-http-serving#what-it-is-not)
- [Comparison](https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-http-serving#comparison)
- [Where Pixeltable fits](https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-http-serving#where-pixeltable-fits)
- [Questions](https://pixeltable.com/learn/what-is-http-serving#questions)

## How it works {#how-it-works}


- Routes are declared next to the classes.
- An insert route writes a row, which runs computed columns.
- A query route returns rows.

## What it is not {#what-it-is-not}

It is not a separate web app that copies rows into another store, and it is not a backend that provisions a scalar database plus auth.

## HTTP serving: this, and the thing it is confused with {#comparison}

|  | This | Not this |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Defined with | The tables | A second service |
| Insert | Runs the columns | Writes a row someone else processes |
| Auth and CRUD hosting | Not this | A backend-as-a-service |

## Where Pixeltable fits {#where-pixeltable-fits}

Pixeltable declares routes with FastAPIRouter on the same file as the tables. pxt service update starts them.

## Questions {#questions}

### How does HTTP serving work? {#faq-1}

Routes are declared next to the classes. An insert route writes a row, which runs computed columns. A query route returns rows.

### What is HTTP serving often confused with? {#faq-2}

It is not a separate web app that copies rows into another store, and it is not a backend that provisions a scalar database plus auth.

## In the blog

- [OpenAI Whisper API Integration: Automated Audio Transcription with Pixeltable](https://pixeltable.com/blog/whisper-transcription-pixeltable)
- [How to Serve a Typed AI Endpoint with Pixeltable](https://pixeltable.com/blog/serve-typed-ai-endpoint-pixeltable)
- [Best Video Intelligence APIs in 2026](https://pixeltable.com/blog/best-video-intelligence-apis-2026)
- [PixelAssist Retrospective: ~2,100 Lines of TypeScript vs. ~40 Lines of Pixeltable](https://pixeltable.com/blog/pixelassist-retrospective-typescript-vs-pixeltable-backend)
- [Schema-Driven Infrastructure: What Vercel Did for Frontends, Pixeltable Does for AI](https://pixeltable.com/blog/schema-driven-infrastructure-ai)
- [Pixeltable Starter Kit: From Clone to Production AI App in Minutes](https://pixeltable.com/blog/pixeltable-starter-kit-launch)

## Related

- [Documentation](https://docs.pixeltable.com/platform/cli#serving)
- [The Unified Multimodal Backend Agents Build With](https://pixeltable.com/blog/unified-multimodal-backend-agents-build-with)
- [Never Fuck With Your Backend Anymore](https://pixeltable.com/blog/never-fuck-with-your-backend-anymore)
- [Replace Your Entire Backend with 90 Minutes of Python: The New Way to Build AI Applications](https://pixeltable.com/blog/ai-app-developer-replace-backend-infrastructure-pixeltable)
- [Production RAG](https://pixeltable.com/use-cases/production-rag-implementation)
- [Pixeltable vs Cohesivity](https://pixeltable.com/compare/pixeltable-vs-cohesivity)
- [Pixeltable vs Convex](https://pixeltable.com/compare/pixeltable-vs-convex)
- [Pixeltable vs Supabase](https://pixeltable.com/compare/pixeltable-vs-supabase)