diff --git a/examples/astro/payload/src/app/my-route/route.ts b/examples/astro/payload/src/app/my-route/route.ts
index a6422f3733..075588617e 100644
--- a/examples/astro/payload/src/app/my-route/route.ts
+++ b/examples/astro/payload/src/app/my-route/route.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 import configPromise from '@payload-config'
 import { getPayload } from 'payload'
 
-export const GET = async () => {
+export const GET = async (request: Request) => {
   const payload = await getPayload({
     config: configPromise,
   })
 
-  const data = await payload.find({
-    collection: 'users',
+  return Response.json({
+    message: 'This is an example of a custom route.',
   })
-
-  return Response.json(data)
 }
diff --git a/examples/remix/payload/src/app/my-route/route.ts b/examples/remix/payload/src/app/my-route/route.ts
index a6422f3733..075588617e 100644
--- a/examples/remix/payload/src/app/my-route/route.ts
+++ b/examples/remix/payload/src/app/my-route/route.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 import configPromise from '@payload-config'
 import { getPayload } from 'payload'
 
-export const GET = async () => {
+export const GET = async (request: Request) => {
   const payload = await getPayload({
     config: configPromise,
   })
 
-  const data = await payload.find({
-    collection: 'users',
+  return Response.json({
+    message: 'This is an example of a custom route.',
   })
-
-  return Response.json(data)
 }
diff --git a/templates/_template/src/app/my-route/route.ts b/templates/_template/src/app/my-route/route.ts
index a6422f3733..075588617e 100644
--- a/templates/_template/src/app/my-route/route.ts
+++ b/templates/_template/src/app/my-route/route.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 import configPromise from '@payload-config'
 import { getPayload } from 'payload'
 
-export const GET = async () => {
+export const GET = async (request: Request) => {
   const payload = await getPayload({
     config: configPromise,
   })
 
-  const data = await payload.find({
-    collection: 'users',
+  return Response.json({
+    message: 'This is an example of a custom route.',
   })
-
-  return Response.json(data)
 }
diff --git a/templates/blank/src/app/my-route/route.ts b/templates/blank/src/app/my-route/route.ts
index a6422f3733..075588617e 100644
--- a/templates/blank/src/app/my-route/route.ts
+++ b/templates/blank/src/app/my-route/route.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 import configPromise from '@payload-config'
 import { getPayload } from 'payload'
 
-export const GET = async () => {
+export const GET = async (request: Request) => {
   const payload = await getPayload({
     config: configPromise,
   })
 
-  const data = await payload.find({
-    collection: 'users',
+  return Response.json({
+    message: 'This is an example of a custom route.',
   })
-
-  return Response.json(data)
 }
diff --git a/templates/plugin/dev/app/my-route/route.ts b/templates/plugin/dev/app/my-route/route.ts
index a6422f3733..075588617e 100644
--- a/templates/plugin/dev/app/my-route/route.ts
+++ b/templates/plugin/dev/app/my-route/route.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 import configPromise from '@payload-config'
 import { getPayload } from 'payload'
 
-export const GET = async () => {
+export const GET = async (request: Request) => {
   const payload = await getPayload({
     config: configPromise,
   })
 
-  const data = await payload.find({
-    collection: 'users',
+  return Response.json({
+    message: 'This is an example of a custom route.',
   })
-
-  return Response.json(data)
 }
diff --git a/templates/with-payload-cloud/src/app/my-route/route.ts b/templates/with-payload-cloud/src/app/my-route/route.ts
index a6422f3733..075588617e 100644
--- a/templates/with-payload-cloud/src/app/my-route/route.ts
+++ b/templates/with-payload-cloud/src/app/my-route/route.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 import configPromise from '@payload-config'
 import { getPayload } from 'payload'
 
-export const GET = async () => {
+export const GET = async (request: Request) => {
   const payload = await getPayload({
     config: configPromise,
   })
 
-  const data = await payload.find({
-    collection: 'users',
+  return Response.json({
+    message: 'This is an example of a custom route.',
   })
-
-  return Response.json(data)
 }
diff --git a/templates/with-postgres/src/app/my-route/route.ts b/templates/with-postgres/src/app/my-route/route.ts
index a6422f3733..075588617e 100644
--- a/templates/with-postgres/src/app/my-route/route.ts
+++ b/templates/with-postgres/src/app/my-route/route.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 import configPromise from '@payload-config'
 import { getPayload } from 'payload'
 
-export const GET = async () => {
+export const GET = async (request: Request) => {
   const payload = await getPayload({
     config: configPromise,
   })
 
-  const data = await payload.find({
-    collection: 'users',
+  return Response.json({
+    message: 'This is an example of a custom route.',
   })
-
-  return Response.json(data)
 }
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-mongodb/src/app/my-route/route.ts b/templates/with-vercel-mongodb/src/app/my-route/route.ts
index a6422f3733..075588617e 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-mongodb/src/app/my-route/route.ts
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-mongodb/src/app/my-route/route.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 import configPromise from '@payload-config'
 import { getPayload } from 'payload'
 
-export const GET = async () => {
+export const GET = async (request: Request) => {
   const payload = await getPayload({
     config: configPromise,
   })
 
-  const data = await payload.find({
-    collection: 'users',
+  return Response.json({
+    message: 'This is an example of a custom route.',
   })
-
-  return Response.json(data)
 }
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-postgres/src/app/my-route/route.ts b/templates/with-vercel-postgres/src/app/my-route/route.ts
index a6422f3733..075588617e 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-postgres/src/app/my-route/route.ts
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-postgres/src/app/my-route/route.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 import configPromise from '@payload-config'
 import { getPayload } from 'payload'
 
-export const GET = async () => {
+export const GET = async (request: Request) => {
   const payload = await getPayload({
     config: configPromise,
   })
 
-  const data = await payload.find({
-    collection: 'users',
+  return Response.json({
+    message: 'This is an example of a custom route.',
   })
-
-  return Response.json(data)
 }