Why SSR matters for Vue

Introduction

SSR means the web page is made on the server first, then sent to your browser. This helps pages load faster and work better for search engines.

When you want your Vue app to show content quickly on the screen.

When you want search engines like Google to find and understand your page easily.

When users have slow internet and you want them to see something fast.

When you want better sharing previews on social media with correct page content.

When you want your app to work well on devices that do not run JavaScript well.

Syntax

Vue

import { createSSRApp } from 'vue'

export function createApp() {
  const app = createSSRApp({
    data() {
      return { message: 'Hello from SSR!' }
    },
    template: `<div>{{ message }}</div>`
  })
  return { app }
}

Use createSSRApp instead of createApp to make the app on the server.

The server sends fully rendered HTML to the browser before Vue takes over.

Examples

This creates a Vue app ready for server rendering with a simple heading.

Vue

import { createSSRApp } from 'vue'

const app = createSSRApp({
  template: `<h1>Server Rendered Vue</h1>`
})

This example shows a button with a counter that works after the server sends the page.

Vue

import { createSSRApp } from 'vue'

export function createApp() {
  return createSSRApp({
    data() {
      return { count: 0 }
    },
    template: `<button @click="count++">Count: {{ count }}</button>`
  })
}

Sample Program

This Vue component uses SSR to send a greeting and a message from the server. The user sees the content immediately without waiting for JavaScript to load.

Vue

import { createSSRApp } from 'vue'

export function createApp() {
  const app = createSSRApp({
    data() {
      return { greeting: 'Hello from SSR Vue!' }
    },
    template: `<main><h1>{{ greeting }}</h1><p>This page was rendered on the server.</p></main>`
  })
  return { app }
}

Important Notes

SSR improves user experience by showing content faster.

It helps search engines read your page better, which can improve your site's visibility.

Setting up SSR requires a server environment that can run JavaScript before sending pages.

Summary

SSR means rendering Vue apps on the server first.

This makes pages load faster and helps search engines.

Use createSSRApp to build Vue apps with SSR.