Introduction
When hosting a Vue.js Single Page Application (SPA) on Vercel, you might encounter 404 errors when navigating directly to certain routes or refreshing the page. This issue typically arises because the Vue Router is configured to use "history" mode, which requires server-side support to handle the routing.
Problem Breakdown
The "history" mode in Vue Router removes the hash ("#") from URLs, creating clean URLs that look like regular paths (e.g., "/about", "/contact"). However, without proper server configuration, directly accessing these URLs results in a 404 error because the server is unaware of how to handle the routes.
Step-by-Step Solution
Adjust Vercel Configuration:
Create a "vercel.json"
file at the root of your project with the following content:
{ "rewrites": [ { "source": "/:path*", "destination": "/index.html" } ] }
This configuration ensures that all routes are redirected to "index.html"
, allowing Vue Router to handle the routing.
Implement a Catch-all Route in Vue Router:
Update your Vue Router configuration to include a catch-all route for handling 404 pages:
const router = createRouter({ history: createWebHistory(), routes: [ { path: '/', component: Home }, { path: '/about', component: About }, // Other routes... { path: '/:pathMatch(.*)', component: NotFoundComponent }, ], });
Common Errors and Solutions
Error: After setting up the configurations, some users might still encounter 404 errors.
Solution: This could be due to cached assets or misconfigured server settings. Clear the cache and double-check the server configurations to ensure they match the recommended settings.
Reflection
After banging my head against the wall for ages trying to fix this bug, I finally figured out that sometimes the best move is to just take a breather and actually read the docs. It's crazy how often the answer's sitting right there in plain sight, if only we'd slow down and give the manual a proper look.
This whole thing really drove home for me how important it is to keep your cool and be thorough when you're coding. Sure, it's tempting to jump straight into hacking together some fancy solution, but taking the time to get the basics down and check out the official guides can save you a ton of headaches in the long run. Plus, you usually end up with a much cleaner fix that way.