Nuxt•4mo ago

explain nuxt content rendering strategies etc

So I have a default page layout with a navbar (which shows when you're logged in etc) my content pages use this default layout however I have a problem as currently using routerules in nuxt config i prerender these content pages and when hard refreshing the page or navigating directly to the page the navbar won't update its status to show the user is logged in. however if i navigate via nuxtlinks internally to the page its fine. now if i remove the prerender true then i can no longer navigate to the page via nuxt links only a hard refresh. why is this what's recommended for this

8 Replies

kapa.ai•4mo ago

Hi @WiFi Plug. I'm kapa.ai, your friendly support bot. I will try to answer your question by searching through the knowledge base. :wave: ---------------------- Your issue relates to how Nuxt handles prerendering (SSG) and dynamic user state (like authentication) in layouts such as a navbar. Here’s a breakdown of what’s happening and the recommended strategies: Nuxt Content Rendering Strategies Nuxt supports several rendering modes, and you can mix them using route rules: - Universal Rendering (SSR/SSG): By default, Nuxt renders pages on the server (SSR) or at build time (SSG/prerendering). This is great for SEO and performance, but the HTML is static at build time if you use prerender: true, so dynamic data (like user login state) won’t be reflected in the initial HTML. - Client-Side Rendering (CSR): With ssr: false (globally or per route), everything is rendered in the browser, so dynamic state is always up-to-date, but you lose SEO and initial load performance benefits. - Hybrid Rendering: You can use route rules to mix SSR, SSG, and CSR per route, e.g., prerender content pages but render admin/dashboard pages client-side only. Your Problem Explained - Prerendered Pages (prerender: true):
When you prerender a page, Nuxt generates static HTML at build time. If your navbar’s login state depends on client-side authentication, the prerendered HTML won’t know if the user is logged in. On a hard refresh or direct navigation, you see the static HTML (user not logged in), and only after hydration/client-side JS runs does the navbar update. If your auth logic is not re-evaluated on hydration, the navbar may not update at all. - Internal Navigation (NuxtLink):
When navigating via <NuxtLink>, Nuxt uses client-side routing. The app is already hydrated, so your auth state is available, and the navbar updates correctly. - Removing prerender: true:
If you remove prerendering and rely on SSR or CSR, you may run into issues if your deployment is static-only (no server), as the page may not exist as a static file, causing navigation errors. Why This Happens - Static HTML Limitation: Prerendered pages can’t reflect per-user state at build time. - Hydration Timing: If your navbar doesn’t re-check auth state on hydration, it stays in the default (logged out) state. - Routing Differences: NuxtLink uses client-side navigation, so state is preserved; hard refresh loads the static HTML. Recommendations 1. For Authenticated UI (like navbars): - Use client-side logic to update the navbar after hydration. Ensure your auth check runs on the client, not just at build time. - Example: Use a composable or plugin that checks auth state on mount and updates reactive state. 2. For Content Pages: - If you need both SEO and dynamic user state, consider SSR (not SSG/prerender) for those pages, so the server can check cookies/session and render the correct navbar. - If you must use SSG, accept that the initial HTML is static and rely on client-side hydration to update the UI. 3. Hybrid Approach: - Use route rules to prerender only truly static pages. - For pages needing dynamic user state, use SSR or CSR:

     export default defineNuxtConfig({
       routeRules: {
         '/content/**': { ssr: true }, // or omit prerender
         '/admin/**': { ssr: false },
       }
     })

     export default defineNuxtConfig({
       routeRules: {
         '/content/**': { ssr: true }, // or omit prerender
         '/admin/**': { ssr: false },
       }
     })

- Hybrid rendering with route rules allows you to mix and match as needed. 4. If deploying statically:
- You must prerender all routes you want to be accessible. If you remove prerender: true and have no server, navigation will fail because the static file doesn’t exist. Summary - Prerendering is great for static content but not for per-user dynamic UI. - Use SSR or CSR for pages/components that depend on user state. - Always ensure your client-side code updates the UI after hydration. - Use route rules to control rendering mode per route for optimal results. For more details, see the official docs on hybrid rendering and route rules and prerendering. If you need code examples or further clarification, let me know! ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•4mo ago

<@679734274840330384> Kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.

WiFi PlugOP•4mo ago

@kapa.ai when using nuxt studio where should images go i use supabase should i store them in supabase storage or use nuxt studio to upload images when making new content pages

kapa.ai•4mo ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- When using Nuxt Studio, the recommended place to store images for your content is the /public directory of your Nuxt project. Nuxt Studio provides a Media tab that allows you to browse, upload, and organize images directly in this /public folder. These images are then easily accessible for insertion into your content pages via the Studio interface, and can be managed by non-technical users as well. When you drag and drop images into the editor or use the media modal, they are stored in /public and referenced by their public path (e.g., /images/my-image.jpg) in your content files Docs: Manage and integrate Medias in Nuxt Content Studio CMS. There is no mention in the knowledge sources of direct integration between Nuxt Studio and Supabase Storage for media uploads. If you use Supabase Storage, you would need to handle image uploads and referencing manually, outside of the Nuxt Studio media management workflow. Summary:
- For the best Nuxt Studio experience, upload and manage images in the /public directory using the Studio Media tab. - Supabase Storage is not natively integrated with Nuxt Studio’s media management features according to the available documentation. If you need to use Supabase Storage for other reasons (e.g., centralized storage, CDN), you can, but you’ll need to manually handle image URLs and uploads outside of Nuxt Studio’s built-in tools Docs: Manage and integrate Medias in Nuxt Content Studio CMS. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•4mo ago

<@679734274840330384> Kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.

WiFi PlugOP•4mo ago

is it fine to use the public folder as i have more content pages and more images stored? won't it add up to more bandwidth or something even with cloudflare? @kapa.ai is it fine to use the public folder as i have more content pages and more images stored? won't it add up to more bandwidth or something even with cloudflare?

kapa.ai•4mo ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- Yes, it is fine to use the public folder for storing images and static assets in Nuxt, even as your number of content pages and images grows. The public/ directory is specifically designed for static assets that need to be served as-is at the root of your site. Files in this directory are not processed by the build tool and are served directly to users Docs > Guide > Directory-structure > public. Regarding bandwidth:
- If you serve more images and content, your bandwidth usage will naturally increase, as more data is being delivered to users. - Using a CDN like Cloudflare is recommended and common practice. Cloudflare will cache your static assets (including images in public/) at edge locations, reducing the load on your origin server and improving delivery speed to users globally. This also helps mitigate bandwidth concerns, as most requests will be served from the CDN cache rather than your server Docs > Getting-started > Deployment > CDN Proxy. In summary:
Storing images in the public folder is the standard approach in Nuxt, and using Cloudflare or another CDN will help manage bandwidth and performance as your site grows. There is no indication in the official documentation that this approach is problematic for larger sites, as long as you use a CDN for efficient asset delivery. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•4mo ago

<@679734274840330384> Kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.

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