Frameworks on Netlify

Netlify supports any framework that produces static output. For frameworks with server-side capabilities (SSR, API routes, middleware), an adapter or plugin translates the framework's server-side code into Netlify Functions and Edge Functions automatically.

How It Works

During build, the framework adapter writes files to .netlify/v1/ — functions, edge functions, redirects, and configuration. Netlify reads these to deploy the site. You do not need to write Netlify Functions manually when using a framework adapter for server-side features.

Detecting Your Framework

Check these files to determine the framework:

Framework Reference Guides

Each framework has specific adapter/plugin requirements and local dev patterns:

• Vite + React (SPA or with server routes): See references/vite.md
• Astro: See references/astro.md
• TanStack Start: See references/tanstack.md
• Next.js: See references/nextjs.md
• Nuxt: See references/nuxt.md
• SvelteKit: See references/sveltekit.md

Local Development

Running a framework project locally with Netlify's platform features (environment variables, Functions, Edge Functions) generally comes from one of two places:

netlify dev

netlify dev

Wraps the framework's own dev server and adds:

• Environment variable injection
• Functions and Edge Functions
• Redirects and headers processing

Works with any framework — run netlify dev in place of the framework's native dev command (e.g. instead of npm run dev).

Custom dev-server wiring — a non-standard command, a port/targetPort, or the framework key — goes in netlify.toml's [dev] block; see the netlify-config skill for the full syntax. One easy-to-miss rule: if you set both a custom command and a targetPort, framework must be "#custom", otherwise Netlify Dev runs its own detector and silently ignores your command.

Netlify Vite plugin family (Vite-based frameworks)

For frameworks built on Vite, a Netlify Vite plugin exposes platform primitives (Functions, Blobs, DB, environment variables) directly inside the framework's own dev server, so no netlify dev wrapper is needed — run the framework's normal dev command (e.g. npm run dev) once the plugin is registered in vite.config.ts.

• Vite-based projects (React SPA, SvelteKit, Remix): @netlify/vite-plugin — see references/vite.md
• TanStack Start: @netlify/vite-plugin-tanstack-start — see references/tanstack.md

The per-framework reference guides may also document other local dev options (e.g. netlify dev) — check the guide for your framework for setup specifics.

Running a single command with the Netlify environment loaded

netlify dev:exec <cmd>

Loads the Netlify environment (env vars, etc.) for a single command without starting a dev server — useful for scripts, tests, or one-off tasks that need Netlify-managed environment variables.

General Patterns

Client-Side Routing (SPA)

For single-page apps with client-side routing, add a catch-all redirect:

# netlify.toml
[[redirects]]
from = "/*"
to = "/index.html"
status = 200

Remove this catch-all when you adopt an SSR adapter. A /* → /index.html rule left over from an SPA setup will shadow your server routes: user-defined redirects in netlify.toml/_redirects take precedence over the routes a framework adapter generates, so every request — including SSR pages and API/function routes — is served the static index.html with a 200. When you migrate a client-rendered app to SSR, delete the SPA catch-all.

Custom 404 Pages

• Static sites: Create a 404.html in your publish directory. Netlify serves it automatically for unmatched routes.
• SSR frameworks: Handle 404s in the framework's routing (the adapter maps this to Netlify's function routing).

Environment Variables in Frameworks

Each framework exposes environment variables to client-side code differently:

In server-side code, prefer Netlify.env.get("VAR") to read environment variables. process.env.VAR also works inside Netlify Functions, but Edge Functions expose only Netlify.env.get — the portable form keeps server code working in both.

Never use a client prefix (VITE_, PUBLIC_, NEXT_PUBLIC_, NUXT_PUBLIC_) for secrets. Client-prefixed variables are inlined into the client bundle and exposed to the browser.

Environment Variable Changes Require a Redeploy

Client-prefixed vars (VITE_, NEXT_PUBLIC_, PUBLIC_, NUXT_PUBLIC_) are inlined into the client bundle at build time — their values are compiled into the JavaScript shipped to the browser. Editing one in the Netlify UI or CLI has no effect on the live site until a new build runs. The same applies server-side: Netlify injects environment variables at build time, so changing a value in the dashboard does not propagate to already-deployed functions on the next request. Any env var change — client- or server-side — requires a redeploy to take effect. If a value looks stale after you changed it, trigger a new deploy.

Runtime File Reads in Adapter-Generated Functions

When an adapter turns your server code into a Netlify Function, only traced module dependencies are bundled. Arbitrary files you read from disk at runtime — a local JSON/Markdown data file, an email template, an fs.readFile() target — are not uploaded with the function unless you declare them. Such a read succeeds under npm run dev (the whole project is on disk) but throws ENOENT in production. Declare the files so they ship with the function: in Next.js set outputFileTracingIncludes in next.config; for a hand-written Netlify Function use included_files in its config. Never assume the project filesystem is present at function runtime.