Middleware matchers reference real routes

A middleware matcher like /api/legacy/:path* that has no matching route files forces the runtime to execute the entire middleware function for every request that happens to hit that prefix — or worse, wastes edge-function invocations on paths that always 404. The matcher is reference-integrity at the routing-configuration layer: it declares an intent the codebase cannot honor. In high-traffic apps this inflates the edge bill and makes debugging a 404 harder because the middleware still runs first.

Open middleware.ts and either remove the matcher entries that reference nonexistent paths or create the routes they gate. Keep the config.matcher array tight to paths that exist:

// middleware.ts
export const config = {
  matcher: [
    '/dashboard/:path*',
    '/api/protected/:path*'
  ]
}

Remove any matcher whose path prefix has zero files under app/ or pages/.

• ID: ai-slop-hallucinations.route-references.middleware-matchers-resolve

• Severity: medium

• What to look for: Read middleware.ts (or src/middleware.ts) at the project root. Extract the config.matcher value — it may be a string, array of strings, or array of { source: "...", missing/has: [...] } objects. For each matcher pattern, strip Next.js matcher syntax (:path*, :path+, (.*), regex groups) to extract the literal path prefix. Verify each literal prefix maps to at least 1 file in the routing tree (app/, pages/). For example, a matcher /dashboard/:path* should have at least 1 file under app/dashboard/ or pages/dashboard/. Count all matchers inspected, total with matching routes, total without.

• Pass criteria: 100% of middleware matchers correspond to at least 1 real route file. Report: "X middleware matchers inspected, Y match real routes, 0 dangling."

• Fail criteria: At least 1 matcher pattern references a path prefix that has no matching files in the routing tree.

• Skip (N/A) when: No middleware.ts file exists at the project root or under src/.

• Detail on fail: "1 dangling middleware matcher: '/api/legacy/:path*' in middleware.ts has no matching files under app/api/legacy/ or pages/api/legacy/"

• Remediation: A middleware matcher that references a non-existent path runs unnecessary middleware logic on requests that never hit your routes. Either remove the dangling matcher or create the routes:

  // middleware.ts
  export const config = {
    matcher: [
      '/dashboard/:path*',  // app/dashboard/ exists ✓
      '/api/protected/:path*'  // make sure app/api/protected/ exists
    ]
  }