Nuxt page loads with blank page
I have a Nuxt.js SSR fullstack web application where one of the dynamic pages usually loads correctly (about 99% of the time), but very occasionally, it just shows a blank screen. If I refresh the page, it loads fine afterward.
I’m trying to understand what might be causing this rare issue and what steps could be taken to resolve it.
Thank you in advance for your help!
2 Replies
Hi @hz2222. I'm kapa.ai, your friendly support bot. I will try to answer your question by searching through the knowledge base. :wave:
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A rare blank page in a Nuxt SSR application that resolves on refresh is often caused by a client-side JavaScript error, most commonly a chunk loading error. This can happen if a user’s browser tries to load a JavaScript chunk (for example, for a dynamic page or component) that no longer exists after a new deployment, or due to network issues. When this happens, the app may fail to hydrate or render, resulting in a blank screen.
Common causes include:
- Chunk loading errors: If a deployment changes the chunk filenames (due to hashing), users with an old version of the app may try to load a now-missing file, causing the page to fail. This is a well-known issue in Nuxt and is discussed in the docs and GitHub issues. Refreshing the page usually fixes it because the browser then fetches the latest assets. You can mitigate this by purging CDN caches after deployment or by using Nuxt’s built-in chunk error handling, which can trigger a reload when a chunk fails to load. You can configure this with the
experimental.emitRouteChunkError option. Setting it to 'automatic-immediate' will reload the app immediately on a chunk error, improving user experience for this scenario feat(nuxt): add a plugin that triggers an immediate reload on chunkError & manifest update Error Handling.
- Hydration issues: If there is a mismatch between the server-rendered HTML and the client-side JavaScript, the app may fail to hydrate, resulting in a blank page. This can be caused by using browser-only APIs (like localStorage) during SSR, inconsistent data between server and client, or side effects in setup code. The Nuxt docs provide best practices to avoid these issues, such as using SSR-friendly composables (useState, useFetch), wrapping client-only code in <ClientOnly>, and moving browser-dependent code to onMounted Common reasons for hydration issues.
- Third-party libraries: Libraries that manipulate the DOM or depend on browser APIs can cause hydration or runtime errors if not properly initialized only on the client Common reasons for hydration issues.
Recommended steps:
1. Check browser console for errors when the blank page occurs—look for chunk loading errors or hydration mismatch warnings.
2. Purge CDN or edge caches after each deployment to ensure users always get the latest assets.
3. Enable Nuxt’s chunk error reload plugin by setting experimental.emitRouteChunkError: 'automatic-immediate' in your nuxt.config to automatically reload the app if a chunk fails to load feat(nuxt): add a plugin that triggers an immediate reload on chunkError & manifest update.
4. Audit your code for hydration issues: Avoid browser-only APIs in SSR, ensure consistent data between server and client, and use SSR-friendly patterns Common reasons for hydration issues.
If the problem persists, try to reproduce it in a minimal environment and check the Nuxt error handling documentation for further debugging tips.
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