Cloudflare Worker Base Stack

Production-tested: cloudflare-worker-base-test (https://cloudflare-worker-base-test.webfonts.workers.dev) Last Updated: 2025-10-20 Status: Production Ready ✅

Quick Start (5 Minutes)

1. Scaffold Project

npm create cloudflare@latest my-worker -- \
  --type hello-world \
  --ts \
  --git \
  --deploy false \
  --framework none

Why these flags:

--type hello-world: Clean starting point
--ts: TypeScript support
--git: Initialize git repo
--deploy false: Don't deploy yet (configure first)
--framework none: We'll add Vite ourselves

2. Install Dependencies

cd my-worker
npm install [email protected]
npm install -D @cloudflare/[email protected] vite@latest

Version Notes:

[email protected]: Latest stable (verified 2025-10-20)
@cloudflare/[email protected]: Latest stable, fixes HMR race condition
vite: Latest version compatible with Cloudflare plugin

3. Configure Wrangler

Create or update wrangler.jsonc:

{
  "$schema": "node_modules/wrangler/config-schema.json",
  "name": "my-worker",
  "main": "src/index.ts",
  "account_id": "YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID",
  "compatibility_date": "2025-10-11",
  "observability": {
    "enabled": true
  },
  "assets": {
    "directory": "./public/",
    "binding": "ASSETS",
    "not_found_handling": "single-page-application",
    "run_worker_first": ["/api/*"]
  }
}

CRITICAL: runworkerfirst Configuration

Without this, SPA fallback intercepts API routes
API routes return index.html instead of JSON
Source: workers-sdk #8879

4. Configure Vite

Create vite.config.ts:

import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
import { cloudflare } from '@cloudflare/vite-plugin'

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
    cloudflare({
      // Optional: Configure the plugin if needed
    }),
  ],
})

Why @cloudflare/vite-plugin:

Official plugin from Cloudflare
Supports HMR with Workers
Enables local development with Miniflare
Version 1.13.13 fixes "A hanging Promise was canceled" error

The Four-Step Setup Process

Step 1: Create Hono App with API Routes

Create src/index.ts:

/**
 * Cloudflare Worker with Hono
 *
 * CRITICAL: Export pattern to prevent build errors
 * ✅ CORRECT: export default app
 * ❌ WRONG:   export default { fetch: app.fetch }
 */

import { Hono } from 'hono'

// Type-safe environment bindings
type Bindings = {
  ASSETS: Fetcher
}

const app = new Hono<{ Bindings: Bindings }>()

/**
 * API Routes
 * Handled BEFORE static assets due to run_worker_first config
 */
app.get('/api/hello', (c) => {
  return c.json({
    message: 'Hello from Cloudflare Workers!',
    timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
  })
})

app.get('/api/health', (c) => {
  return c.json({
    status: 'ok',
    version: '1.0.0',
    environment: c.env ? 'production' : 'development',
  })
})

/**
 * Fallback to Static Assets
 * Any route not matched above is served from public/ directory
 */
app.all('*', (c) => {
  return c.env.ASSETS.fetch(c.req.raw)
})

/**
 * Export the Hono app directly (ES Module format)
 * This is the correct pattern for Cloudflare Workers with Hono + Vite
 */
export default app

Why This Export Pattern:

Source: honojs/hono #3955
Using { fetch: app.fetch } causes: "Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')"
Exception: If you need scheduled/tail handlers, use Module Worker format:

``typescript export default { fetch: app.fetch, scheduled: async (event, env, ctx) => { / ... / } } ``

Step 2: Create Static Frontend

Create public/index.html:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>My Worker App</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="/styles.css">
</head>
<body>
  <div class="container">
    <h1>Cloudflare Worker + Static Assets</h1>
    <button onclick="testAPI()">Test API</button>
    <pre id="output"></pre>
  </div>
  <script src="/script.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

Create public/script.js:

async function testAPI() {
  const response = await fetch('/api/hello')
  const data = await response.json()
  document.getElementById('output').textContent = JSON.stringify(data, null, 2)
}

Create public/styles.css:

body {
  font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, sans-serif;
  max-width: 800px;
  margin: 40px auto;
  padding: 20px;
}

button {
  background: #0070f3;
  color: white;
  border: none;
  padding: 12px 24px;
  border-radius: 6px;
  cursor: pointer;
}

pre {
  background: #f5f5f5;
  padding: 16px;
  border-radius: 6px;
  overflow-x: auto;
}

Step 3: Update Package Scripts

Update package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "wrangler dev",
    "deploy": "wrangler deploy",
    "cf-typegen": "wrangler types"
  }
}

Step 4: Test & Deploy

# Generate TypeScript types for bindings
npm run cf-typegen

# Start local dev server (http://localhost:8787)
npm run dev

# Deploy to production
npm run deploy

Known Issues Prevention

This skill prevents 6 documented issues:

Issue #1: Export Syntax Error

Error: "Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')" Source: honojs/hono #3955 Prevention: Use export default app (NOT { fetch: app.fetch })

Issue #2: Static Assets Routing Conflicts

Error: API routes return index.html instead of JSON Source: workers-sdk #8879 Prevention: Add "runworkerfirst": ["/api/*"] to wrangler.jsonc

Issue #3: Scheduled/Cron Not Exported

Error: "Handler does not export a scheduled() function" Source: honojs/vite-plugins #275 Prevention: Use Module Worker format when needed:

export default {
  fetch: app.fetch,
  scheduled: async (event, env, ctx) => { /* ... */ }
}

Issue #4: HMR Race Condition

Error: "A hanging Promise was canceled" during development Source: workers-sdk #9518 Prevention: Use @cloudflare/[email protected] or later

Issue #5: Static Assets Upload Race

Error: Non-deterministic deployment failures in CI/CD Source: workers-sdk #7555 Prevention: Use Wrangler 4.x+ with retry logic (fixed in recent versions)

Issue #6: Service Worker Format Confusion

Error: Using deprecated Service Worker format Source: Cloudflare migration guide Prevention: Always use ES Module format (shown in Step 1)

Configuration Files Reference

wrangler.jsonc (Full Example)

{
  "$schema": "node_modules/wrangler/config-schema.json",
  "name": "my-worker",
  "main": "src/index.ts",
  "account_id": "YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID",
  "compatibility_date": "2025-10-11",
  "observability": {
    "enabled": true
  },
  "assets": {
    "directory": "./public/",
    "binding": "ASSETS",
    "not_found_handling": "single-page-application",
    "run_worker_first": ["/api/*"]
  }
  /* Optional: Environment Variables */
  // "vars": { "MY_VARIABLE": "production_value" }

  /* Optional: KV Namespace Bindings */
  // "kv_namespaces": [
  //   { "binding": "MY_KV", "id": "YOUR_KV_ID" }
  // ]

  /* Optional: D1 Database Bindings */
  // "d1_databases": [
  //   { "binding": "DB", "database_name": "my-db", "database_id": "YOUR_DB_ID" }
  // ]

  /* Optional: R2 Bucket Bindings */
  // "r2_buckets": [
  //   { "binding": "MY_BUCKET", "bucket_name": "my-bucket" }
  // ]
}

Why wrangler.jsonc over wrangler.toml:

JSON format preferred since Wrangler v3.91.0
Better IDE support with JSON schema
Comments allowed with JSONC

vite.config.ts (Full Example)

import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
import { cloudflare } from '@cloudflare/vite-plugin'

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
    cloudflare({
      // Persist state between HMR updates
      persist: true,
    }),
  ],

  // Optional: Configure server
  server: {
    port: 8787,
  },

  // Optional: Build optimizations
  build: {
    target: 'esnext',
    minify: true,
  },
})

tsconfig.json

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2022",
    "module": "ES2022",
    "lib": ["ES2022"],
    "moduleResolution": "bundler",
    "types": ["@cloudflare/workers-types/2023-07-01"],
    "resolveJsonModule": true,
    "allowJs": true,
    "checkJs": false,
    "strict": true,
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true,
    "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true,
    "isolatedModules": true,
    "noEmit": true
  },
  "include": ["src/**/*"],
  "exclude": ["node_modules"]
}

API Route Patterns

Basic JSON Response

app.get('/api/users', (c) => {
  return c.json({
    users: [
      { id: 1, name: 'Alice' },
      { id: 2, name: 'Bob' }
    ]
  })
})

POST with Request Body

app.post('/api/users', async (c) => {
  const body = await c.req.json()

  // Validate and process body
  return c.json({ success: true, data: body }, 201)
})

Route Parameters

app.get('/api/users/:id', (c) => {
  const id = c.req.param('id')
  return c.json({ id, name: 'User' })
})

Query Parameters

app.get('/api/search', (c) => {
  const query = c.req.query('q')
  return c.json({ query, results: [] })
})

Error Handling

app.get('/api/data', async (c) => {
  try {
    // Your logic here
    return c.json({ success: true })
  } catch (error) {
    return c.json({ error: error.message }, 500)
  }
})

Using Bindings (KV, D1, R2)

type Bindings = {
  ASSETS: Fetcher
  MY_KV: KVNamespace
  DB: D1Database
  MY_BUCKET: R2Bucket
}

const app = new Hono<{ Bindings: Bindings }>()

app.get('/api/data', async (c) => {
  // KV
  const value = await c.env.MY_KV.get('key')

  // D1
  const result = await c.env.DB.prepare('SELECT * FROM users').all()

  // R2
  const object = await c.env.MY_BUCKET.get('file.txt')

  return c.json({ value, result, object })
})

Static Assets Best Practices

Directory Structure

public/
├── index.html          # Main entry point
├── styles.css          # Global styles
├── script.js           # Client-side JavaScript
├── favicon.ico         # Favicon
└── assets/             # Images, fonts, etc.
    ├── logo.png
    └── fonts/

SPA Fallback

The "notfoundhandling": "single-page-application" configuration means:

Unknown routes return index.html
Useful for React Router, Vue Router, etc.
BUT requires runworkerfirst for API routes!

Route Priority

With "runworkerfirst": ["/api/*"]:

/api/hello → Worker handles it (returns JSON)
/ → Static Assets serve index.html
/styles.css → Static Assets serve styles.css
/unknown → Static Assets serve index.html (SPA fallback)

Caching Static Assets

Static Assets are automatically cached at the edge. To bust cache:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="/styles.css?v=1.0.0">
<script src="/script.js?v=1.0.0"></script>

Development Workflow

Local Development

npm run dev

Server runs on http://localhost:8787
HMR enabled (file changes reload automatically)
Uses Miniflare for local simulation
All bindings work locally (KV, D1, R2)

Testing API Routes

# Test GET endpoint
curl http://localhost:8787/api/hello

# Test POST endpoint
curl -X POST http://localhost:8787/api/echo \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"test": "data"}'

Type Generation

npm run cf-typegen

Generates worker-configuration.d.ts with:

Binding types (KV, D1, R2, etc.)
Environment variable types
Auto-completes in your editor

Deployment

# Deploy to production
npm run deploy

# Deploy to specific environment
wrangler deploy --env staging

# Tail logs in production
wrangler tail

# Check deployment status
wrangler deployments list

Complete Setup Checklist

Project scaffolded with npm create cloudflare@latest
Dependencies installed: [email protected], @cloudflare/[email protected]
wrangler.jsonc created with:

- [ ] accountid set to your Cloudflare account - [ ] assets.directory pointing to ./public/ - [ ] assets.runworkerfirst includes /api/* - [ ] compatibilitydate set to recent date

vite.config.ts created with @cloudflare/vite-plugin
src/index.ts created with Hono app

- [ ] Uses export default app (NOT { fetch: app.fetch }) - [ ] Includes ASSETS binding type - [ ] Has fallback route: app.all('*', (c) => c.env.ASSETS.fetch(c.req.raw))

public/ directory created with static files
npm run cf-typegen executed successfully
npm run dev starts without errors
API routes tested in browser/curl
Static assets serve correctly
HMR works without crashes
Ready to deploy with npm run deploy

Advanced Topics

Adding Middleware

import { Hono } from 'hono'
import { logger } from 'hono/logger'
import { cors } from 'hono/cors'

const app = new Hono<{ Bindings: Bindings }>()

// Global middleware
app.use('*', logger())
app.use('/api/*', cors())

// Route-specific middleware
app.use('/admin/*', async (c, next) => {
  // Auth check
  await next()
})

Environment-Specific Configuration

// wrangler.jsonc
{
  "name": "my-worker",
  "env": {
    "staging": {
      "vars": { "ENV": "staging" }
    },
    "production": {
      "vars": { "ENV": "production" }
    }
  }
}

Deploy: wrangler deploy --env staging

Custom Error Pages

app.onError((err, c) => {
  console.error(err)
  return c.json({ error: 'Internal Server Error' }, 500)
})

app.notFound((c) => {
  return c.json({ error: 'Not Found' }, 404)
})

Testing with Vitest

npm install -D vitest @cloudflare/vitest-pool-workers

Create vitest.config.ts:

import { defineConfig } from 'vitest/config'

export default defineConfig({
  test: {
    poolOptions: {
      workers: {
        wrangler: { configPath: './wrangler.jsonc' },
      },
    },
  },
})

See reference/testing.md for complete testing guide.

File Templates

All templates are available in the templates/ directory:

wrangler.jsonc - Complete Worker configuration
vite.config.ts - Vite + Cloudflare plugin setup
package.json - Dependencies and scripts
tsconfig.json - TypeScript configuration
src/index.ts - Hono app with API routes
public/index.html - Static frontend example
public/styles.css - Example styling
public/script.js - API test functions

Copy these files to your project and customize as needed.

Reference Documentation

For deeper understanding, see:

architecture.md - Deep dive into export patterns, routing, and Static Assets
common-issues.md - All 6 issues with detailed troubleshooting
deployment.md - Wrangler commands, CI/CD patterns, and production tips

Official Documentation

Cloudflare Workers: https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers/
Static Assets: https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers/static-assets/
Vite Plugin: https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers/vite-plugin/
Wrangler Configuration: https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers/wrangler/configuration/
Hono: https://hono.dev/docs/getting-started/cloudflare-workers
Context7 Library ID: /websites/developers_cloudflare-workers

Dependencies (Latest Verified 2025-10-20)

{
  "dependencies": {
    "hono": "^4.10.1"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@cloudflare/vite-plugin": "^1.13.13",
    "@cloudflare/workers-types": "^4.20251011.0",
    "vite": "^7.0.0",
    "wrangler": "^4.43.0",
    "typescript": "^5.9.0"
  }
}

Production Example

This skill is based on the cloudflare-worker-base-test project:

Live: https://cloudflare-worker-base-test.webfonts.workers.dev
Build Time: ~45 minutes (actual)
Errors: 0 (all 6 known issues prevented)
Validation: ✅ Local dev, HMR, production deployment all successful

All patterns in this skill have been validated in production.

Questions? Issues?

Check reference/common-issues.md first
Verify all steps in the 4-step setup process
Ensure export default app (not { fetch: app.fetch })
Ensure runworkerfirst is configured
Check official docs: https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers/