Nuxt Best Practices

Comprehensive performance optimization guide for Nuxt 4 applications (current: Nuxt 4.5, with notes for 3.x apps approaching EOL). Contains 23 rules across 9 categories, prioritized by impact to guide automated refactoring and code generation.

When to Apply

Reference these guidelines when:

• Writing new Nuxt pages, components, or composables
• Implementing data fetching (useFetch, useAsyncData, the 4.5 enabled option)
• Creating server routes and API endpoints
• Organizing types, composables, and auto-imports
• Working with Nuxt modules and plugins
• Configuring rendering modes (SSR, SSG, SPA, 4.5 experimental SSR streaming)
• Using layouts, named views, and NuxtLink prefetching (Nuxt 4.5 conventions)

Rule Categories by Priority

Quick Reference

1. Data Fetching (CRITICAL)

• data-use-fetch - Use useFetch/useAsyncData, never raw fetch in components
• data-key-unique - Always provide unique keys for data fetching
• data-lazy-loading - Use lazy option for non-critical data
• data-transform - Transform data at fetch time, not in template
• data-error-handling - Always handle error and pending states
• data-refresh-patterns - Use refresh() and clear() appropriately
• data-conditional-enabled - Use the enabled option for conditional fetching (4.5+)

2. Auto-Imports & Organization (CRITICAL)

• imports-no-barrel-autoimport - Never create barrel exports in auto-imported directories
• imports-component-naming - Don't duplicate folder prefix in component names
• imports-type-locations - Place types in dedicated directories (app/types, shared/types, server/types)
• imports-composable-exports - Composables export functions only, not types
• imports-direct-composable-imports - Use direct imports between composables

3. Server & API Routes (HIGH)

• server-validated-input - Use getValidatedQuery/readValidatedBody with Zod
• server-route-meta - Always add defineRouteMeta for OpenAPI docs
• server-runtime-config - Use useRuntimeConfig, never process.env
• server-error-handling - Use createError for consistent error responses
• server-middleware-order - Understand middleware execution order

4. Rendering Modes (HIGH)

• rendering-route-rules - Configure rendering per-route with routeRules
• rendering-hybrid - Use hybrid rendering for optimal performance
• rendering-prerender - Prerender static pages at build time
• rendering-client-only - Use ClientOnly for browser-specific components
• rendering-ssr-streaming - Understand SSR streaming before enabling it (4.5+, experimental)

5. State Management (MEDIUM-HIGH)

• state-use-state - Use useState for SSR-safe shared state
• state-pinia-setup - Set up Pinia correctly with Nuxt
• state-hydration - Handle hydration mismatches properly
• state-computed-over-watch - Prefer computed over watch for derived state

6. Pages, Layouts & Navigation (MEDIUM)

• pages-use-layout - Use useLayout to read the resolved layout (4.5+)
• pages-named-views - Use the [email protected] convention for named views (4.5+)
• pages-nuxtlink-custom-prefetch - Wire prefetch manually in NuxtLink custom slots (4.5+)

7. Type Safety (MEDIUM)

• types-no-inline - Never define types inline in components/composables
• types-import-paths - Use correct import paths (#shared, ~/, ~~/)
• types-no-any - Never use any type
• types-zod-schemas - Use Zod for runtime validation with type inference
• types-strict-emits - Type emits fully; declare camelCase, listen kebab-case

8. Modules & Plugins (LOW-MEDIUM)

• modules-order - Module order matters in nuxt.config
• modules-runtime-vs-build - Understand runtime vs build-time modules
• plugins-client-server - Use .client.ts and .server.ts suffixes correctly
• plugins-provide-inject - Use provide/inject for cross-cutting concerns

9. Performance & Deployment (LOW)

• perf-bundle-analysis - Analyze and optimize bundle size
• perf-image-optimization - Use nuxt/image for optimized images
• perf-font-loading - Configure font loading strategy
• perf-caching-headers - Set appropriate cache headers

How to Use

Read individual rule files for detailed explanations and code examples:

rules/data-use-fetch.md
rules/imports-no-barrel-autoimport.md
rules/_sections.md

Each rule file contains:

• Brief explanation of why it matters
• Incorrect code example with explanation
• Correct code example with explanation
• Additional context and Nuxt-specific notes

Full Compiled Document

For the complete guide with all rules expanded: AGENTS.md