Nuxt Best Practices

Comprehensive performance optimization guide for Nuxt 3/4 applications. Contains 40+ rules across 8 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)
• •Creating server routes and API endpoints
• •Organizing types, composables, and auto-imports
• •Working with Nuxt modules and plugins
• •Configuring rendering modes (SSR, SSG, SPA)

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

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

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. 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 - Use kebab-case emits with full type definitions

7. 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

8. 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