How to Create a Magento 2 Controller

A Magento 2 controller is the entry point for a URL request on the storefront or admin. In this tutorial, you’ll build a complete storefront route for the module Magencode_MyModule —including routing, a controller action, a block, a layout handle, and a PHTML template— so you can render dynamic content at a clean URL. This guide is Yoast-friendly: the keyphrase “Magento 2 controller” appears in the intro and in subheadings.

Why a Magento 2 Controller Matters for Frontend Pages

A Magento 2 controller receives the request, orchestrates business logic, and returns a result (usually a page). Pairing the controller with a block, layout XML, and a template lets you keep presentation clean and testable.

Module Structure

Your module should look like this:

Magencode/MyModule/
├── Block
│   └── Page
│       └── Index.php
├── Controller
│   └── Page
│       └── Index.php
├── etc
│   ├── frontend
│   │   └── routes.xml
│   └── module.xml
├── registration.php
└── view
    └── frontend
        ├── layout
        │   └── magencode_page_index.xml
        └── templates
            └── page
                └── index.phtml

Each part plays a role: routing maps the URL, the controller action builds a page result, the block provides data to the view, the layout handle wires block ↔ template, and the template renders HTML.

Routing Configuration

Define a unique frontName and route ID for the storefront:

<!-- etc/frontend/routes.xml -->
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<config xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="urn:magento:framework:App/etc/routes.xsd">
	<router id="standard">
		<route id="magencode" frontName="magencode">
			<module name="Magencode_MyModule"/>
		</route>
	</router>
</config>

This exposes the URL pattern: /magencode/page/index.

Module Declaration and Registration

<!-- etc/module.xml -->
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<config xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="urn:magento:framework:Module/etc/module.xsd">
	<module name="Magencode_MyModule"/>
</config>

<?php
// registration.php
/**
 * Copyright © Magencode 2025 All rights reserved.
 * See COPYING.txt for license details.
 */
declare(strict_types=1);

use Magento\Framework\Component\ComponentRegistrar;

ComponentRegistrar::register(ComponentRegistrar::MODULE, 'Magencode_MyModule', __DIR__);

Building the Controller Action

Create a controller that returns a page result:

<?php
// Controller/Page/Index.php

/**
 * Copyright © Magencode 2025 All rights reserved.
 * See COPYING.txt for license details.
 */
declare(strict_types=1);

namespace Magencode\MyModule\Controller\Page;

use Magento\Framework\App\Action\HttpGetActionInterface;
use Magento\Framework\Controller\ResultInterface;
use Magento\Framework\View\Result\PageFactory;

class Index implements HttpGetActionInterface
{

    /**
     * @var PageFactory
     */
    protected $resultPageFactory;

    /**
     * Constructor
     *
     * @param PageFactory $resultPageFactory
     */
    public function __construct(PageFactory $resultPageFactory)
    {
        $this->resultPageFactory = $resultPageFactory;
    }

    /**
     * Execute view action
     *
     * @return ResultInterface
     */
    public function execute(): ResultInterface
    {
        return $this->resultPageFactory->create();
    }
}

Note: Using HttpGetActionInterface clarifies this is a GET endpoint.

Providing Data with a Block (View Model Style)

Use a block to expose data and helper methods to the template:

<?php
// Block/Page/Index.php
/**
 * Copyright © Magencode 2025 All rights reserved.
 * See COPYING.txt for license details.
 */
declare(strict_types=1);

namespace Magencode\MyModule\Block\Page;

class Index extends \Magento\Framework\View\Element\Template
{

    /**
     * Constructor
     *
     * @param \Magento\Framework\View\Element\Template\Context  $context
     * @param array $data
     */
    public function __construct(
        \Magento\Framework\View\Element\Template\Context $context,
        array $data = []
    ) {
        parent::__construct($context, $data);
    }
}

Wiring View Layers with a Layout Handle

Map the controller route to a layout handle and place the block into a container:

<!-- view/frontend/layout/magencode_page_index.xml -->
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<page xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" layout="1column" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="urn:magento:framework:View/Layout/etc/page_configuration.xsd">
	<body>
		<referenceContainer name="content">
			<block name="page.index" class="Magencode\MyModule\Block\Page\Index" template="Magencode_MyModule::page/index.phtml"/>
		</referenceContainer>
	</body>
</page>

Rendering HTML in the Template

Consume block methods for clean, testable markup:

<!-- view/frontend/templates/page/index.phtml -->
Hello page/index.phtml

Enable the Module and Test the Route

From your Magento root:

php bin/magento setup:upgrade
php bin/magento module:enable Magencode_MyModule
php bin/magento cache:flush

Then visit:
https://your-domain.com/magencode/page/index

You should see the content rendered by the block and template controlled by your controller route.

Conclusion: Clean Frontend Pages

By combining routing, a controller action, a block, a layout handle, and a template, you create a maintainable storefront page the Magento way. This Magento 2 controller pattern keeps concerns separated, improves testability, and sets you up for SEO-friendly, scalable content on your store.