Easy Spring Boot Question 62 of 226

What is the difference between @Controller and @RestController?

Java Specialist · Speak this in 60–90 seconds · Faridabad & Delhi NCR

ClientGET /users/1

ServerFind row

JSON back200 OK

@Controller is for MVC that returns view names

Why interviewers care about Spring Boot:

They want a clean

contrast on Spring Boot, not two memorised paragraphs.

Say what changes for

the developer, then one case where picking wrong hurts.

Stay structured

Name the idea, why it exists, then one short example.

Close cleanly

End with when you use it and one common pitfall.

Before you speak the answer, walk the interviewer through these steps:

1
@Controller is for MVC
that returns view names
2
you need @ResponseBody on
methods that return JSON.
3
@RestController is @Controller plus
@ResponseBody on every method, which is what REST APIs want.
4
For a JSON backend
interview, @RestController is the expected default.
5
Common mistake
What juniors usually get wrong.
6
Close
When you pick this over the alternative.

Here's a short line you can speak, broken into clear beats:

Say this line

“@RestController is @Controller plus @ResponseBody on every method, which is what”

Break into beats

RestControllerisControllerplusResponseBodyon

Speaking order

2987408337471632900

Note: Adapt this scaffold to your own project — keep it under 60–90 seconds.

@Controller is for MVC that returns view names you need @ResponseBody on methods that return JSON.