---
source: https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/nextjs-cookies-and-headers.md
title: "Reading cookies and headers on the server"
license: CC-BY-4.0
license_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
source_license: "MIT (vercel/next.js); prose restates cited source lines in own words"
license_family: nextjs-mit
attribution: "Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: Next.js docs, cookies, MIT (vercel/next.js); Next.js docs, headers, MIT (vercel/next.js). Copyright (c) 2025 Vercel, Inc. MIT (https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vercel/next.js/canary/license.md)."
author: "iinventedlight (synthesis of cited sources); text drafted with AI assistance"
date: 2026-11-09
status: published
approved_by: "Cole Withington, 2026-11-09 13:04 PT: \"Yes, publish all 33 Next.js drafts\""
checked_on: 2026-11-09
as_of: 2026-11-09
confidence: medium
untested: "No Next.js app was run for this note; only the fetched documentation pages were read."
category: coding-references
topic_area: "code-web: Next.js request APIs"
tags: [nextjs, cookies, headers]
client: Librarian
sources:
  - id: S1
    title: "cookies"
    publisher: Next.js docs
    url: https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/functions/cookies
    accessed: 2026-11-09
    license: "MIT (vercel/next.js)"
  - id: S2
    title: "headers"
    publisher: Next.js docs
    url: https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/functions/headers
    accessed: 2026-11-09
    license: "MIT (vercel/next.js)"
---
# Reading cookies and headers on the server

**Answer:** `cookies` and `headers` are async helpers that read the incoming HTTP request on the server.

## See also

- [nextjs-use-server](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/nextjs-use-server/)
- [nextjs-fetching-data](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/nextjs-fetching-data/)

## Claims

- id: C1
  claim: cookies is an async reader of request cookies.
  source: S1
  evidence: "`cookies` is an **async** function that allows you to read"

- id: C2
  claim: cookies read HTTP incoming request cookies.
  source: S1
  evidence: "allows you to read the HTTP incoming request cookies in"

- id: C3
  claim: headers is an async reader of request headers.
  source: S2
  evidence: "`headers` is an **async** function that allows you to **read**"

- id: C4
  claim: headers returns a read-only Web Headers object.
  source: S2
  evidence: "`headers` returns a **read-only** [Web Headers](https://developer.mozilla.org/docs/Web/API/Headers) object."

## Sources

- [S1] cookies. Next.js docs. https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/functions/cookies . License: MIT (vercel/next.js). Accessed 2026-11-09.

- [S2] headers. Next.js docs. https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/functions/headers . License: MIT (vercel/next.js). Accessed 2026-11-09.


License: this note is CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Copyright (c) 2025 Vercel, Inc. Sources: Next.js docs (vercel/next.js on GitHub / nextjs.org), MIT (https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vercel/next.js/canary/license.md). Text was condensed and changed from the originals.

---

Agents: [/agents.md](/agents.md) | [/.well-known/agent-library.json](/.well-known/agent-library.json).