Nuxt

The full-stack meta-framework built on Vue.

Meta-Framework

Nuxt adds server-side rendering, file-based routing, auto-imports, and a full-stack server layer (Nitro) on top of Vue. It's the framework this site itself is built with. Where plain Vue leaves routing, data fetching, and deployment target entirely up to you, Nuxt makes opinionated defaults for all of them while still allowing you to opt out of any one of them.

When to use it

SEO matters — Nuxt server-renders pages by default, so crawlers see full content immediately
You want file-based routing and auto-imported components/composables to cut boilerplate
You want a single framework that also handles simple backend/API routes (via Nitro) without a separate backend for basic needs
You're already committed to Vue and want the most complete framework built on it

Considerations

Server-rendering adds infrastructure and hosting considerations a plain SPA doesn't have
The convention-over-configuration approach (auto-imports, file-based routing) has a learning curve if you're used to explicit imports
For a purely internal dashboard with no SEO need, the SSR machinery may be more than you need — a plain Vue + Vite SPA can be simpler

Key concepts

File-based routing

Files under pages/ automatically become routes — no manual router configuration for the common case.

Auto-imports

Components, composables, and Vue APIs (ref, computed, etc.) are available without explicit import statements.

Nitro

Nuxt's server engine — powers API routes, server middleware, and deployment to many targets (Node, serverless, edge) from one codebase.

Rendering modes

Choose per-route between SSR, static generation (SSG), and client-only rendering depending on the page's needs.

Getting started

npx nuxi@latest init my-app

Scaffold a new Nuxt project.

cd my-app && npm install && npm run dev

Install dependencies and start the dev server.

Common mistakes

Using browser-only APIs (window, document, localStorage) directly in setup() without guarding for SSR — this code runs on the server first, where they don't exist, and crashes on first render unless wrapped in onMounted or a client-only check.
Relying on auto-imports without knowing what's actually being imported — can make it harder to trace where a composable or component is defined, especially for newer team members.
Defaulting every route to SSR when a page doesn't need it — an internal dashboard with no SEO requirement usually doesn't need the added server infrastructure SSR brings.

Ecosystem

Nuxt UI (components)Pinia (state)Nuxt Content (file-based CMS)Nitro (server engine, built-in)

Related guides

Vue

An approachable, progressive framework for building UIs.

Next.js

The full-stack meta-framework built on React.

This guide states trade-offs, not a single "best" answer — the right choice depends on your team, constraints, and existing stack.