diff --git a/frontend/lib/api/__test__/test-utils.ts b/frontend/lib/api/__test__/test-utils.ts
index d766d76..a46f21a 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/api/__test__/test-utils.ts
+++ b/frontend/lib/api/__test__/test-utils.ts
@@ -1,18 +1,18 @@
 import { beforeAll, expect } from 'vitest';
 import { Requests } from '../../requests';
-import { OverrideParts } from '../base/urls';
+import { overrideParts } from '../base/urls';
 import { PublicApi } from '../public';
 import * as config from '../../../test/config';
 import { UserApi } from '../user';
 
 export function client() {
-  OverrideParts(config.BASE_URL, '/api/v1');
+  overrideParts(config.BASE_URL, '/api/v1');
   const requests = new Requests('');
   return new PublicApi(requests);
 }
 
 export function userClient(token: string) {
-  OverrideParts(config.BASE_URL, '/api/v1');
+  overrideParts(config.BASE_URL, '/api/v1');
   const requests = new Requests('', token);
   return new UserApi(requests);
 }
diff --git a/frontend/lib/api/base/index.test.ts b/frontend/lib/api/base/index.test.ts
index 2f40e0c..87401f7 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/api/base/index.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/lib/api/base/index.test.ts
@@ -1,24 +1,24 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
-import { UrlBuilder } from '.';
+import { route } from '.';
 
 describe('UrlBuilder', () => {
-	it('basic query parameter', () => {
-		const result = UrlBuilder('/test', { a: 'b' });
-		expect(result).toBe('/api/v1/test?a=b');
-	});
+  it('basic query parameter', () => {
+    const result = route('/test', { a: 'b' });
+    expect(result).toBe('/api/v1/test?a=b');
+  });
 
-	it('multiple query parameters', () => {
-		const result = UrlBuilder('/test', { a: 'b', c: 'd' });
-		expect(result).toBe('/api/v1/test?a=b&c=d');
-	});
+  it('multiple query parameters', () => {
+    const result = route('/test', { a: 'b', c: 'd' });
+    expect(result).toBe('/api/v1/test?a=b&c=d');
+  });
 
-	it('no query parameters', () => {
-		const result = UrlBuilder('/test');
-		expect(result).toBe('/api/v1/test');
-	});
+  it('no query parameters', () => {
+    const result = route('/test');
+    expect(result).toBe('/api/v1/test');
+  });
 
-	it('list-like query parameters', () => {
-		const result = UrlBuilder('/test', { a: ['b', 'c'] });
-		expect(result).toBe('/api/v1/test?a=b&a=c');
-	});
+  it('list-like query parameters', () => {
+    const result = route('/test', { a: ['b', 'c'] });
+    expect(result).toBe('/api/v1/test?a=b&a=c');
+  });
 });
diff --git a/frontend/lib/api/base/index.ts b/frontend/lib/api/base/index.ts
index 12f6df5..58ddbae 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/api/base/index.ts
+++ b/frontend/lib/api/base/index.ts
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 export { BaseAPI } from './base-api';
-export { UrlBuilder } from './urls';
+export { route } from './urls';
diff --git a/frontend/lib/api/base/urls.ts b/frontend/lib/api/base/urls.ts
index bb40883..4185383 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/api/base/urls.ts
+++ b/frontend/lib/api/base/urls.ts
@@ -3,14 +3,23 @@ const parts = {
   prefix: '/api/v1',
 };
 
-export function OverrideParts(host: string, prefix: string) {
+export function overrideParts(host: string, prefix: string) {
   parts.host = host;
   parts.prefix = prefix;
 }
 
 export type QueryValue = string | string[] | number | number[] | boolean | null | undefined;
 
-export function UrlBuilder(rest: string, params: Record<string, QueryValue> = {}): string {
+/**
+ * route is a the main URL builder for the API. It will use a predefined host and prefix (global)
+ * in the urls.ts file and then append the passed in path parameter uring the `URL` class from the
+ * browser. It will also append any query parameters passed in as the second parameter.
+ *
+ * The default host `http://localhost.com` is removed from the path if it is present. This allows us
+ * to bootstrap the API with different hosts as needed (like for testing) but still allows us to use
+ * relative URLs in pruduction because the API and client bundle are served from the same server/host.
+ */
+export function route(rest: string, params: Record<string, QueryValue> = {}): string {
   const url = new URL(parts.prefix + rest, parts.host);
 
   for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(params)) {
@@ -23,6 +32,5 @@ export function UrlBuilder(rest: string, params: Record<string, QueryValue> = {}
     }
   }
 
-  // we return the path only, without the base URL
   return url.toString().replace('http://localhost.com', '');
 }
diff --git a/frontend/lib/api/classes/items.ts b/frontend/lib/api/classes/items.ts
index cba979e..b6398ec 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/api/classes/items.ts
+++ b/frontend/lib/api/classes/items.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { BaseAPI, UrlBuilder } from '../base';
+import { BaseAPI, route } from '../base';
 import { Label } from './labels';
 import { Location } from './locations';
 import { Results } from './types';
@@ -33,22 +33,22 @@ export interface Item {
 
 export class ItemsApi extends BaseAPI {
   async getAll() {
-    return this.http.get<Results<Item>>(UrlBuilder('/items'));
+    return this.http.get<Results<Item>>(route('/items'));
   }
 
   async create(item: ItemCreate) {
-    return this.http.post<ItemCreate, Item>(UrlBuilder('/items'), item);
+    return this.http.post<ItemCreate, Item>(route('/items'), item);
   }
 
   async get(id: string) {
-    return this.http.get<Item>(UrlBuilder(`/items/${id}`));
+    return this.http.get<Item>(route(`/items/${id}`));
   }
 
   async delete(id: string) {
-    return this.http.delete<void>(UrlBuilder(`/items/${id}`));
+    return this.http.delete<void>(route(`/items/${id}`));
   }
 
   async update(id: string, item: ItemCreate) {
-    return this.http.put<ItemCreate, Item>(UrlBuilder(`/items/${id}`), item);
+    return this.http.put<ItemCreate, Item>(route(`/items/${id}`), item);
   }
 }
diff --git a/frontend/lib/api/classes/labels.ts b/frontend/lib/api/classes/labels.ts
index 82aa005..32ab306 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/api/classes/labels.ts
+++ b/frontend/lib/api/classes/labels.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { BaseAPI, UrlBuilder } from '../base';
+import { BaseAPI, route } from '../base';
 import { Details, OutType, Results } from './types';
 
 export type LabelCreate = Details & {
@@ -14,22 +14,22 @@ export type Label = LabelCreate &
 
 export class LabelsApi extends BaseAPI {
   async getAll() {
-    return this.http.get<Results<Label>>(UrlBuilder('/labels'));
+    return this.http.get<Results<Label>>(route('/labels'));
   }
 
   async create(label: LabelCreate) {
-    return this.http.post<LabelCreate, Label>(UrlBuilder('/labels'), label);
+    return this.http.post<LabelCreate, Label>(route('/labels'), label);
   }
 
   async get(id: string) {
-    return this.http.get<Label>(UrlBuilder(`/labels/${id}`));
+    return this.http.get<Label>(route(`/labels/${id}`));
   }
 
   async delete(id: string) {
-    return this.http.delete<void>(UrlBuilder(`/labels/${id}`));
+    return this.http.delete<void>(route(`/labels/${id}`));
   }
 
   async update(id: string, label: LabelUpdate) {
-    return this.http.put<LabelUpdate, Label>(UrlBuilder(`/labels/${id}`), label);
+    return this.http.put<LabelUpdate, Label>(route(`/labels/${id}`), label);
   }
 }
diff --git a/frontend/lib/api/classes/locations.ts b/frontend/lib/api/classes/locations.ts
index f696744..4fe128d 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/api/classes/locations.ts
+++ b/frontend/lib/api/classes/locations.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { BaseAPI, UrlBuilder } from '../base';
+import { BaseAPI, route } from '../base';
 import { Item } from './items';
 import { Details, OutType, Results } from './types';
 
@@ -15,21 +15,21 @@ export type LocationUpdate = LocationCreate;
 
 export class LocationsApi extends BaseAPI {
   async getAll() {
-    return this.http.get<Results<Location>>(UrlBuilder('/locations'));
+    return this.http.get<Results<Location>>(route('/locations'));
   }
 
   async create(location: LocationCreate) {
-    return this.http.post<LocationCreate, Location>(UrlBuilder('/locations'), location);
+    return this.http.post<LocationCreate, Location>(route('/locations'), location);
   }
 
   async get(id: string) {
-    return this.http.get<Location>(UrlBuilder(`/locations/${id}`));
+    return this.http.get<Location>(route(`/locations/${id}`));
   }
   async delete(id: string) {
-    return this.http.delete<void>(UrlBuilder(`/locations/${id}`));
+    return this.http.delete<void>(route(`/locations/${id}`));
   }
 
   async update(id: string, location: LocationUpdate) {
-    return this.http.put<LocationUpdate, Location>(UrlBuilder(`/locations/${id}`), location);
+    return this.http.put<LocationUpdate, Location>(route(`/locations/${id}`), location);
   }
 }
diff --git a/frontend/lib/api/public.ts b/frontend/lib/api/public.ts
index d6a1eae..186b3c7 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/api/public.ts
+++ b/frontend/lib/api/public.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { BaseAPI, UrlBuilder } from './base';
+import { BaseAPI, route } from './base';
 
 export type LoginResult = {
   token: string;
@@ -28,17 +28,17 @@ export type StatusResult = {
 
 export class PublicApi extends BaseAPI {
   public status() {
-    return this.http.get<StatusResult>(UrlBuilder('/status'));
+    return this.http.get<StatusResult>(route('/status'));
   }
 
   public login(username: string, password: string) {
-    return this.http.post<LoginPayload, LoginResult>(UrlBuilder('/users/login'), {
+    return this.http.post<LoginPayload, LoginResult>(route('/users/login'), {
       username,
       password,
     });
   }
 
   public register(payload: RegisterPayload) {
-    return this.http.post<RegisterPayload, LoginResult>(UrlBuilder('/users/register'), payload);
+    return this.http.post<RegisterPayload, LoginResult>(route('/users/register'), payload);
   }
 }
diff --git a/frontend/lib/api/user.ts b/frontend/lib/api/user.ts
index 58af3be..ea998c0 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/api/user.ts
+++ b/frontend/lib/api/user.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { Requests } from '~~/lib/requests';
-import { BaseAPI, UrlBuilder } from './base';
+import { BaseAPI, route } from './base';
 import { ItemsApi } from './classes/items';
 import { LabelsApi } from './classes/labels';
 import { LocationsApi } from './classes/locations';
@@ -30,14 +30,14 @@ export class UserApi extends BaseAPI {
   }
 
   public self() {
-    return this.http.get<Result<User>>(UrlBuilder('/users/self'));
+    return this.http.get<Result<User>>(route('/users/self'));
   }
 
   public logout() {
-    return this.http.post<object, void>(UrlBuilder('/users/logout'), {});
+    return this.http.post<object, void>(route('/users/logout'), {});
   }
 
   public deleteAccount() {
-    return this.http.delete<void>(UrlBuilder('/users/self'));
+    return this.http.delete<void>(route('/users/self'));
   }
 }