Optimize API requests in Node.js

I have an API in Node.js. My routes look like

exports.getUserList = (req, res, next) => {
  User.find().sort({ name: 1 }).then(users => {
    res.json({
      status: 'success',
      users
    });
  }).catch(next);
};

      

        
        
        
      

    

As you can see from the example, I am using .catch(next)

. But is this the correct way to do it? Should the route always print json?

So, I am thinking about doing something like

exports.getUserList = (req, res, next) => {
  User.find().sort({ name: 1 }).then(users => {
    res.json({
      status: 'success',
      users
    });
  }).catch(err => {
    res.json({
      status: 'error',
      msg: err
    });
  });
};

      

        
        
        
      

    

but shouldn't it be something like res.status(some_status_code).json({})

?

How is a simple API usually done in terms of error handling?

What if I use a variable in my code that is not defined (i.e. causes a syntax error)? Should I handle it with a JSON error, or should I just make sure I'm not doing sloppy coding?: - D

Also, is this the fastest way to print json? I mean, should I use User.find().lean()

? Should I be doing caching? Is it even wise to store your API on a regular website, or are there optimized API servers for such cases?