Pages and file-based routing in Vue

Introduction

Pages and file-based routing help you create website pages easily by just adding files. The file names decide the web address automatically.

When building a website with multiple pages like home, about, and contact.

When you want to add new pages quickly without writing routing code.

When you want your URLs to match your file names for easy navigation.

When you want to organize your project by folders and files that reflect the site structure.

Syntax

Vue

<project-root>/pages/<page-name>.vue

// Example: pages/about.vue

<template>
  <h1>About Page</h1>
</template>

<script setup>
// Vue component code here
</script>

Each .vue file inside the pages folder automatically becomes a route.

Folders inside pages create nested routes matching the folder structure.

Examples

This file creates the home page at URL /.

Vue

pages/index.vue

<template>
  <h1>Home Page</h1>
</template>

This file creates the about page at URL /about.

Vue

pages/about.vue

<template>
  <h1>About Us</h1>
</template>

This file creates a blog list page at URL /blog.

Vue

pages/blog/index.vue

<template>
  <h1>Blog List</h1>
</template>

This file creates a dynamic route for blog posts like /blog/123, where 123 is the post ID.

Vue

pages/blog/[id].vue

<template>
  <h1>Blog Post</h1>
  <p>Post ID: {{ id }}</p>
</template>

<script setup>
import { useRoute } from 'vue-router'
const route = useRoute()
const id = route.params.id
</script>

Sample Program

This example shows three pages: home, about, and contact. Each page is a separate file inside the pages folder. The URLs will be /, /about, and /contact automatically.

Vue

<!-- File: pages/index.vue -->
<template>
  <h1>Welcome to Home</h1>
  <nav>
    <a href="/about">About</a> |
    <a href="/contact">Contact</a>
  </nav>
</template>

<!-- File: pages/about.vue -->
<template>
  <h1>About Us</h1>
  <p>This is the about page.</p>
</template>

<!-- File: pages/contact.vue -->
<template>
  <h1>Contact</h1>
  <p>Contact us at [e-mail]</p>
</template>

Important Notes

File names like index.vue become the root of their folder route.

Dynamic routes use square brackets, like [id].vue, to capture URL parts.

Use vue-router hooks like useRoute() to access route parameters inside components.

Summary

File names in the pages folder create routes automatically.

Folders create nested routes matching the URL path.

Dynamic routes use square brackets to capture variables from the URL.

Practice

1. In Vue file-based routing, what does a file named about.vue inside the pages folder represent?

easy

A. A route accessible at /about

B. A nested route under /pages

C. A dynamic route capturing a parameter

D. A global component, not a route

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand file-based routing basics

   Files inside the pages folder automatically become routes matching their file names.

2. Step 2: Map file name to route path

   The file about.vue creates a route at /about directly.

3. Final Answer:

   A route accessible at /about -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   File name = route path [OK]

Hint: File name equals route path without extension [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking files create nested routes automatically
• Confusing dynamic routes with static file names
• Assuming files are just components, not routes

2. Which of the following is the correct way to define a dynamic route for a user profile page capturing userId in Vue file-based routing?

easy

A. pages/user/[userId].vue

B. pages/user/:userId.vue

C. pages/user/_userId.vue

D. pages/user/userId.vue

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall dynamic route syntax

   Vue file-based routing uses square brackets to define dynamic segments in file names.

2. Step 2: Match syntax to options

   The correct syntax is [userId].vue inside the folder representing the route.

3. Final Answer:

   pages/user/[userId].vue -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Dynamic route uses [param] syntax [OK]

Hint: Use square brackets for dynamic route params [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using colon syntax like in Vue Router config
• Using underscore prefix which is invalid here
• Naming file literally as param name without brackets

3. Given the following folder structure inside pages:

pages/
  blog/
    [slug].vue
  index.vue

What URL path will render the component in blog/[slug].vue when visiting /blog/vue-routing?

medium

A. The component renders but slug is undefined

B. The component receives slug = 'vue-routing' as a route param

C. The URL /blog/vue-routing does not match any route

D. The component renders but with slug = 'blog/vue-routing'

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify dynamic route usage

   The file [slug].vue inside blog folder captures the segment after /blog/ as slug.

2. Step 2: Match URL to route param

   Visiting /blog/vue-routing sets slug to 'vue-routing' for the component.

3. Final Answer:

   The component receives slug = 'vue-routing' as a route param -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Dynamic segment captures URL part [OK]

Hint: Dynamic file name captures URL segment as param [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming slug is undefined without explicit props
• Thinking URL must exactly match file name
• Confusing nested folder names with param values

4. You have a file pages/blog/[postId].vue but visiting /blog/123 shows a 404 error. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. The route parameter is not passed as a prop to the component

B. The file name should be _postId.vue instead of using brackets

C. The pages folder is missing or misnamed

D. The dynamic route file is inside the wrong folder

Solution

1. Step 1: Check folder structure

   For file-based routing to work, the pages folder must exist at the correct location.

2. Step 2: Understand 404 cause

   If pages folder is missing or misnamed, routes won't be generated, causing 404 errors.

3. Final Answer:

   The pages folder is missing or misnamed -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Missing pages folder causes no routes [OK]

Hint: Check if pages folder exists and is correctly named [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing dynamic file syntax with underscore prefix
• Assuming props passing affects route matching
• Placing dynamic file in wrong folder without realizing

5. You want to create nested routes for a blog with categories and posts, where URLs look like /blog/tech/vue-routing. Which folder and file structure inside pages correctly sets this up?

hard

A. pages/blog/category/post.vue

B. pages/blog/[category-post].vue

C. pages/blog/[category]/post.vue

D. pages/blog/[category]/[post].vue

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand nested dynamic routes

   Nested folders represent URL segments; dynamic segments use square brackets for variables.

2. Step 2: Match URL pattern to folder structure

   The URL /blog/tech/vue-routing has two dynamic parts after /blog: category and post.

3. Step 3: Verify correct file path

   Using pages/blog/[category]/[post].vue matches the URL segments correctly.

4. Final Answer:

   pages/blog/[category]/[post].vue -> Option D

5. Quick Check:

   Nested folders with [param] files match nested dynamic routes [OK]

Hint: Use nested folders with bracketed files for nested dynamic routes [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Combining params in one file name incorrectly
• Using static folder names for dynamic segments
• Misplacing files causing route mismatches