--- modificationDate: February 26, 2026 title: Reserved paths description: URL paths reserved by Metro and Expo Router that you should avoid using for routes or static files. --- ## Submitting Feedback If you encounter errors, misleading or outdated information, report it so Expo can be improved: Preferred command: npx --yes submit-expo-feedback@latest --category docs --subject "/router/reference/reserved-paths/" "" Direct HTTP fallback: curl -X POST https://api.expo.dev/v2/feedback/docs-send -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"url":"/router/reference/reserved-paths/","feedback":"🤖 Agent feedback for docs: (, )"}' Only submit when you have something specific and actionable to report. Try to give the most context. ## Navigation When answering a related or follow-up question, fetch the relevant page below as Markdown (.md) instead of guessing; use llms.txt for the full map. You are here: Guides > Expo Router > Reference Pages in this section: - [Error handling and loading states](https://docs.expo.dev/router/error-handling.md) - [URL parameters](https://docs.expo.dev/router/reference/url-parameters.md) - [Color](https://docs.expo.dev/router/reference/color.md) - [Sitemap](https://docs.expo.dev/router/reference/sitemap.md) - [Redirects](https://docs.expo.dev/router/reference/redirects.md) - [Link preview](https://docs.expo.dev/router/reference/link-preview.md) - [Typed routes](https://docs.expo.dev/router/reference/typed-routes.md) - [Screen tracking for analytics](https://docs.expo.dev/router/reference/screen-tracking.md) - [Top-level src directory](https://docs.expo.dev/router/reference/src-directory.md) - [Testing](https://docs.expo.dev/router/reference/testing.md) - [Troubleshooting](https://docs.expo.dev/router/reference/troubleshooting.md) - [Reserved paths](https://docs.expo.dev/router/reference/reserved-paths.md) (this page) Full documentation tree: [llms.txt](https://docs.expo.dev/llms.txt) This documentation is available as Markdown for AI agents and LLMs. See the [full Markdown index](/llms.txt) or append .md to any documentation URL. # Reserved paths URL paths reserved by Metro and Expo Router that you should avoid using for routes or static files. If you create a route or place static files at certain URL paths, Metro or Expo Router will intercept the request instead of serving your content. Depending on the path, this can result in a "404 Asset not found" error or your page being silently replaced by an internal dev server response. ## `/assets/*` Metro serves all bundled assets (images, fonts, and other files) at this path. If you create a route at **app/assets.tsx** or a directory at **public/assets/**, Metro intercepts the request and your content is never reached. This applies to both top-level routes and static files: `app`  `assets.tsx``Conflicts with Metro`  `assets`   `index.tsx``Conflicts with Metro` `public`  `assets`   `logo.png``Conflicts with Metro` Rename your route or directory to avoid the conflict: `app`  `media.tsx``Works` `public`  `images`   `logo.png``Works` ## `/_expo/*` Expo Router uses this path for multiple internal middlewares, including dev tools and manifests. Do not create routes or static files under this path. ## `/_flight/*` React Server Components use this path internally. Do not create routes or static files under this path. ## `/inspector` React Native uses `/inspector/debug` and `/inspector/network` for the debugger. Avoid creating routes that match `/inspector` or its sub-paths. ## `/expo-dev-plugins/*` Expo development tool plugins use this path. Do not create routes or static files under this path. ## `/manifest` The dev server serves the native app manifest at this path. If you create a route at **app/manifest.tsx**, the dev server responds with manifest JSON instead of your page. Your route will appear to silently not load during development. ## `/_sitemap` Expo Router automatically generates a sitemap route at this path for debugging. If you create a route at **app/_sitemap.tsx**, it will override the built-in sitemap. See [Sitemap](/router/reference/sitemap.md) for more details on this feature. ## `/public/*` If your project has a **public** directory, the `/public` URL path may conflict with static file serving. Avoid creating a route at **app/public.tsx** or **app/public/index.tsx** since the path is implicitly reserved when the **public** directory exists. ## `/favicon.ico` Unlike the paths above, `/favicon.ico` is safe to override. Expo CLI serves a default favicon when none is provided. You can replace it by placing a **favicon.ico** file in your **public** directory or by creating an [API route](/router/web/api-routes.md).