What is the difference between route parameters and query parameters?

Route parameters live in the URL path to identify a resource, while query parameters follow the ? to filter or configure the request.

/users/123?sort=name&limit=10
      ↑              ↑
 route param    query params

Express access:

• Route: req.params.userId → "123"
• Query: req.query.sort → "name"

Use route params for resource identification, query params for filtering/options.