Vue Router

Framework-specific APIs, components, and composables for Vue 3

Vue Router

TanStack Router provides first-class support for Vue 3 with reactive composables, components, and patterns designed specifically for Vue applications.

Installation

npm install @tanstack/vue-router

Core Components

RouterProvider

The top-level component that renders active route matches and provides the router to the Vue tree.

import { createApp } from 'vue'
import { RouterProvider, createRouter } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

const router = createRouter({ routeTree })

const app = createApp({
  setup() {
    return () => <RouterProvider router={router} />
  },
})

app.mount('#app')

Link

Reactive navigation component with preloading and active state support.

import { Link } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

function Navigation() {
  return (
    <Link
      to="/posts/$postId"
      params={{ postId: '123' }}
      activeProps={{
        class: 'font-bold',
      }}
      activeOptions={{ exact: true }}
    >
      View Post
    </Link>
  )
}

Key Props:

• to - Type-safe destination path
• params - Path parameters
• search - Search parameters
• activeProps - Props applied when link is active
• inactiveProps - Props applied when link is inactive
• preload - Controls preloading behavior (false, 'intent', 'viewport')
• disabled - Disables navigation

Outlet

Renders child route matches at the current level.

import { Outlet } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

function LayoutComponent() {
  return (
    <div>
      <header>Header</header>
      <main>
        <Outlet />
      </main>
    </div>
  )
}

ErrorComponent

Default error boundary component that displays error details.

import { ErrorComponent } from '@tanstack/vue-router'
import type { ErrorComponentProps } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

function CustomErrorComponent({ error }: ErrorComponentProps) {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Error</h1>
      <pre>{error.message}</pre>
    </div>
  )
}

Navigate

Component-based navigation trigger.

import { Navigate } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

function RedirectComponent() {
  return <Navigate to="/home" />
}

Vue Composables

useRouter

Access the router instance from any component.

import { useRouter } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

function MyComponent() {
  const router = useRouter()
  
  const handleNavigate = () => {
    router.navigate({ to: '/about' })
  }
  
  return <button onClick={handleNavigate}>Go to About</button>
}

useNavigate

Type-safe programmatic navigation.

import { useNavigate } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

function MyComponent() {
  const navigate = useNavigate({ from: '/posts' })
  
  const handleClick = () => {
    navigate({ to: '/posts/$postId', params: { postId: '123' } })
  }
  
  return <button onClick={handleClick}>View Post</button>
}

useParams

Access route path parameters reactively.

import { useParams } from '@tanstack/vue-router'
import { watch } from 'vue'

function PostComponent() {
  const params = useParams({ from: '/posts/$postId' })
  
  // params is a reactive ref
  watch(() => params.value.postId, (postId) => {
    console.log('Post ID changed:', postId)
  })
  
  return <div>Post ID: {params.value.postId}</div>
}

Note: In Vue, useParams returns a reactive ref, so access with params.value.

useSearch

Access route search parameters reactively.

import { useSearch } from '@tanstack/vue-router'
import { watch } from 'vue'

function PostsComponent() {
  const search = useSearch({ from: '/posts' })
  
  // search is a reactive ref
  watch(() => search.value.filter, (filter) => {
    console.log('Filter changed:', filter)
  })
  
  return <div>Filter: {search.value.filter}</div>
}

useLoaderData

Access data loaded by the route’s loader function as a reactive ref.

import { useLoaderData } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

function PostComponent() {
  const post = useLoaderData({ from: '/posts/$postId' })
  
  // post is a Vue ref - access with post.value
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>{post.value.title}</h1>
      <p>{post.value.body}</p>
    </div>
  )
}

Key Difference: In Vue, useLoaderData returns a ref, so access data with post.value.

useMatch

Access the current route match with reactive properties.

import { useMatch } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

function MyComponent() {
  const match = useMatch({ from: '/posts/$postId' })
  
  // match is a reactive ref
  return (
    <div>
      <p>Status: {match.value.status}</p>
      <p>Post ID: {match.value.params.postId}</p>
    </div>
  )
}

useRouteContext

Access route context provided by parent routes reactively.

import { useRouteContext } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

function MyComponent() {
  const context = useRouteContext({ from: '/posts/$postId' })
  
  return <div>User: {context.value.user.name}</div>
}

useLocation

Access the current location object reactively.

import { useLocation } from '@tanstack/vue-router'
import { watch } from 'vue'

function MyComponent() {
  const location = useLocation()
  
  watch(location, (newLocation) => {
    console.log('Location changed:', newLocation.pathname)
  })
  
  return (
    <div>
      <p>Pathname: {location.value.pathname}</p>
      <p>Hash: {location.value.hash}</p>
    </div>
  )
}

useRouterState

Access router state reactively with optional selector.

import { useRouterState } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

function MyComponent() {
  const isLoading = useRouterState({
    select: (state) => state.isLoading,
  })
  
  return isLoading.value ? <div>Loading...</div> : <div>Content</div>
}

Note: Returns a ref, so access with isLoading.value.

useMatchRoute

Check if a specific route matches the current location.

import { useMatchRoute } from '@tanstack/vue-router'
import { computed } from 'vue'

function MyComponent() {
  const matchRoute = useMatchRoute()
  const isPostsRoute = computed(() => matchRoute({ to: '/posts' }))
  
  return (
    <div>{isPostsRoute.value ? 'On Posts Page' : 'Not on Posts Page'}</div>
  )
}

useLinkProps

Build anchor-like props for custom link components.

import { useLinkProps } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

function CustomLink(props) {
  const linkProps = useLinkProps(props)
  
  return <a {...linkProps} class="custom-link" />
}

useBlocker

Block navigation based on a condition (useful for unsaved changes).

import { useBlocker } from '@tanstack/vue-router'
import { ref } from 'vue'

function FormComponent() {
  const hasUnsavedChanges = ref(false)
  
  useBlocker({
    condition: hasUnsavedChanges,
    blockerFn: () => window.confirm('You have unsaved changes. Leave anyway?'),
  })
  
  return <form>...</form>
}

Route API

RouteApi

Route-specific API with pre-bound reactive composables for a specific route ID.

import { getRouteApi } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

const postRoute = getRouteApi('/posts/$postId')

function PostComponent() {
  const params = postRoute.useParams()
  const post = postRoute.useLoaderData()
  const navigate = postRoute.useNavigate()
  
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>{post.value.title}</h1>
      <postRoute.Link to="/posts">Back to Posts</postRoute.Link>
    </div>
  )
}

Creating Routes

Code-based Routes

import { createRoute, createRootRoute, Outlet } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

const rootRoute = createRootRoute({
  component: () => (
    <>
      <nav>...</nav>
      <Outlet />
    </>
  ),
})

const indexRoute = createRoute({
  getParentRoute: () => rootRoute,
  path: '/',
  component: () => <div>Welcome Home!</div>,
})

const postRoute = createRoute({
  getParentRoute: () => rootRoute,
  path: '/posts/$postId',
  loader: ({ params }) => fetchPost(params.postId),
  component: PostComponent,
})

function PostComponent() {
  const post = postRoute.useLoaderData()
  // Access as ref: post.value
  return <div>{post.value.title}</div>
}

const routeTree = rootRoute.addChildren([indexRoute, postRoute])

File-based Routes (JSX)

// src/routes/__root.tsx
import { createRootRoute, Outlet } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

export const Route = createRootRoute({
  component: () => (
    <>
      <nav>...</nav>
      <Outlet />
    </>
  ),
})

// src/routes/index.tsx
import { createFileRoute } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

export const Route = createFileRoute('/')({ 
  component: () => <div>Welcome Home!</div>,
})

// src/routes/posts/$postId.tsx
import { createFileRoute } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

export const Route = createFileRoute('/posts/$postId')({
  loader: ({ params }) => fetchPost(params.postId),
  component: PostComponent,
})

function PostComponent() {
  const post = Route.useLoaderData()
  return <div>{post.value.title}</div>
}

File-based Routes (SFC)

Vue Router also supports .vue Single File Components:

<!-- src/routes/posts/$postId.vue -->
<script setup lang="ts">
import { useLoaderData } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

const post = useLoaderData({ from: '/posts/$postId' })
</script>

<template>
  <div>
    <h1>{{ post.title }}</h1>
    <p>{{ post.body }}</p>
  </div>
</template>

SSR Support

Vue Router includes specialized SSR utilities:

// Server-side
import { renderToString } from 'vue/server-renderer'
import { createMemoryHistory } from '@tanstack/vue-router'
import { createApp } from 'vue'

const history = createMemoryHistory({
  initialEntries: [request.url],
})

const router = createRouter({ 
  routeTree,
  history,
})

await router.load()

const app = createApp({
  setup() {
    return () => <RouterProvider router={router} />
  },
})

const html = await renderToString(app)

// Client-side
import { createBrowserHistory } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

const history = createBrowserHistory()
const router = createRouter({ routeTree, history })

const app = createApp({
  setup() {
    return () => <RouterProvider router={router} />
  },
})

app.mount('#app')

Vue-Specific Features

Reactive Refs

All router state is returned as Vue refs:

import { watch } from 'vue'
import { useParams, useSearch } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

function MyComponent() {
  const params = useParams({ from: '/posts/$postId' })
  const search = useSearch({ from: '/posts' })
  
  // Watch changes
  watch([() => params.value.postId, () => search.value.filter], 
    ([postId, filter]) => {
      console.log('Params or search changed:', postId, filter)
    }
  )
  
  return <div>Post: {params.value.postId}</div>
}

Single File Component Support

Vue Router fully supports .vue SFC syntax:

<script setup lang="ts">
import { useLoaderData } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

const posts = useLoaderData({ from: '/posts' })
</script>

<template>
  <ul>
    <li v-for="post in posts" :key="post.id">
      {{ post.title }}
    </li>
  </ul>
</template>

<style scoped>
li {
  margin: 1rem 0;
}
</style>

Template Syntax

Use Vue’s template directives with router components:

<template>
  <div>
    <Link 
      to="/posts" 
      :activeProps="{ class: 'active' }"
    >
      Posts
    </Link>
    
    <div v-if="isLoading">Loading...</div>
    <div v-else>
      <Outlet />
    </div>
  </div>
</template>

Computed Properties

Combine router state with computed properties:

import { computed } from 'vue'
import { useParams, useLoaderData } from '@tanstack/vue-router'

function PostComponent() {
  const params = useParams({ from: '/posts/$postId' })
  const post = useLoaderData({ from: '/posts/$postId' })
  
  const title = computed(() => 
    `Post ${params.value.postId}: ${post.value.title}`
  )
  
  return <h1>{title.value}</h1>
}

Complete Example

import { createApp } from 'vue'
import {
  RouterProvider,
  createRouter,
  createRootRoute,
  createRoute,
  Link,
  Outlet,
} from '@tanstack/vue-router'

const rootRoute = createRootRoute({
  component: () => (
    <div>
      <nav>
        <Link to="/" activeProps={{ class: 'font-bold' }}>
          Home
        </Link>
        <Link to="/posts" activeProps={{ class: 'font-bold' }}>
          Posts
        </Link>
      </nav>
      <Outlet />
    </div>
  ),
})

const indexRoute = createRoute({
  getParentRoute: () => rootRoute,
  path: '/',
  component: () => <h1>Welcome Home!</h1>,
})

const postsRoute = createRoute({
  getParentRoute: () => rootRoute,
  path: '/posts',
  loader: () => fetch('/api/posts').then(r => r.json()),
  component: PostsComponent,
})

function PostsComponent() {
  const posts = postsRoute.useLoaderData()
  
  return (
    <ul>
      {posts.value.map(post => (
        <li key={post.id}>
          <Link to="/posts/$postId" params={{ postId: post.id }}>
            {post.title}
          </Link>
        </li>
      ))}
    </ul>
  )
}

const routeTree = rootRoute.addChildren([indexRoute, postsRoute])
const router = createRouter({ routeTree })

declare module '@tanstack/vue-router' {
  interface Register {
    router: typeof router
  }
}

const app = createApp({
  setup() {
    return () => <RouterProvider router={router} />
  },
})

app.mount('#app')

Best Practices

1. Type Safety: Always register your router type:

   declare module '@tanstack/vue-router' {
     interface Register {
       router: typeof router
     }
   }
   

2. Use Refs: Remember that composables return refs:

   const data = useLoaderData({ from: '/posts' })
   return <div>{data.value}</div> // Access with .value
   

3. Watch Changes: Use Vue’s watch for side effects:

   watch(() => params.value.postId, (id) => {
     console.log('Post ID changed:', id)
   })
   

4. SFC Support: Leverage .vue files for better DX:

   <script setup lang="ts">
   const post = useLoaderData({ from: '/posts/$postId' })
   </script>
   
   <template>
     <h1>{{ post.title }}</h1>
   </template>
   

5. Template Directives: Use v-if, v-for, etc. with router state:

   <template>
     <div v-if="isLoading">Loading...</div>
     <div v-else>Content</div>
   </template>
   

Key Differences from React Router

• Refs: All composables return Vue refs, not plain values - access with .value
• SFC Support: Full support for .vue Single File Components
• Template Syntax: Can use Vue template directives with router components
• Watch API: Use Vue’s watch instead of useEffect for side effects
• No Hooks Rules: Vue composition API is more flexible than React hooks
• JSX Support: Supports both JSX and template syntax