---
title: Nuxt
description: This guide will walk through setting up your first workflow in a Nuxt app. Along the way, you'll learn more about the concepts that are fundamental to using the Workflow SDK in your own projects.
type: guide
summary: Set up Workflow SDK in a Nuxt app.
prerequisites:
  - /docs/getting-started
related:
  - /docs/foundations/workflows-and-steps
---

<CopyPrompt
  text="In this Nuxt app, run `npm i workflow`. In `nuxt.config.ts`, add `modules: [&quot;workflow/nuxt&quot;]` and keep `compatibilityDate: &quot;latest&quot;`. Create `workflows/user-signup.ts` exporting `handleUserSignup(email)` with `&quot;use workflow&quot;`, `sleep` from `workflow`, and `&quot;use step&quot;` helpers that create a user and send emails. Add `server/api/signup.post.ts` using `defineEventHandler` from `h3` or `nitro/h3` and `start` from `workflow/api` to read `{ email }` and start the workflow. Run `npm run dev`, call `curl -X POST --json '{&quot;email&quot;:&quot;hello@example.com&quot;}' http://localhost:3000/api/signup`, and inspect with `npx workflow web` or `npx workflow inspect runs`."
/>

<Steps>

<Step>
## Create your Nuxt project

Start by creating a new Nuxt project. This command will create a new directory named `nuxt-app` and setup a Nuxt project inside it.

```bash
npm create nuxt@latest nuxt-app
```

Enter the newly made directory:

```bash
cd nuxt-app
```

### Install `workflow`

```package-install
npm i workflow
```

### Configure Nuxt

Add `workflow` to your `nuxt.config.ts`. This automatically configures the Nitro integration and enables usage of the `"use workflow"` and `"use step"` directives.

```typescript title="nuxt.config.ts" lineNumbers
import { defineNuxtConfig } from "nuxt/config";

export default defineNuxtConfig({
  modules: ["workflow/nuxt"], // [!code highlight]
  compatibilityDate: "latest",
});
```

This will also automatically enable the TypeScript plugin, which provides helpful IntelliSense hints in your IDE for workflow and step functions.

<Details>
<Summary>Disable TypeScript Plugin (Optional)</Summary>

The TypeScript plugin is enabled by default. If you need to disable it, you can configure it in your `nuxt.config.ts`:

{/* @skip-typecheck: incomplete code sample */}
```typescript title="nuxt.config.ts" lineNumbers
export default defineNuxtConfig({
  modules: ["workflow/nuxt"],
  workflow: {
    typescriptPlugin: false, // [!code highlight]
  },
  compatibilityDate: "latest",
});
```

</Details>

</Step>

<Step>

## Create your first workflow

Create a new file for our first workflow:

```typescript title="server/workflows/user-signup.ts" lineNumbers
import { sleep } from "workflow";

export async function handleUserSignup(email: string) {
  "use workflow"; // [!code highlight]

  const user = await createUser(email);
  await sendWelcomeEmail(user);

  await sleep("5s"); // Pause for 5s - doesn't consume any resources
  await sendOnboardingEmail(user);

  console.log("Workflow is complete! Run 'npx workflow web' to inspect your run")

  return { userId: user.id, status: "onboarded" };
}
```

We'll fill in those functions next. The current code does the following:

- We define a **workflow** function with the directive `"use workflow"`. Think of the workflow function as the _orchestrator_ of individual **steps**.
- The Workflow SDK's `sleep` function allows us to suspend execution of the workflow without using up any resources. A sleep can be a few seconds, hours, days, or even months long.

## Create your workflow steps

Define the missing functions.

```typescript title="server/workflows/user-signup.ts" lineNumbers
import { FatalError } from "workflow";

// Our workflow function defined earlier

async function createUser(email: string) {
  "use step"; // [!code highlight]

  console.log(`Creating user with email: ${email}`);

  // Full Node.js access - database calls, APIs, etc.
  return { id: crypto.randomUUID(), email };
}

async function sendWelcomeEmail(user: { id: string; email: string }) {
  "use step"; // [!code highlight]

  console.log(`Sending welcome email to user: ${user.id}`);

  if (Math.random() < 0.3) {
    // By default, steps will be retried for unhandled errors
    throw new Error("Retryable!");
  }
}

async function sendOnboardingEmail(user: { id: string; email: string }) {
  "use step"; // [!code highlight]

  if (!user.email.includes("@")) {
    // To skip retrying, throw a FatalError instead
    throw new FatalError("Invalid Email");
  }

  console.log(`Sending onboarding email to user: ${user.id}`);
}
```

Taking a look at this code:

- Business logic lives inside **steps**. When a workflow invokes a step, the workflow suspends while the step runs with full Node.js access. The combined handler may execute it inline; queued retries and continuations return through the same flow route.
- If a step throws an error, like in `sendWelcomeEmail`, the step will automatically be retried until it succeeds (or hits the step's max retry count).
- Steps can throw a `FatalError` if an error is intentional and should not be retried.

<Callout>
  We'll dive deeper into workflows, steps, and other ways to suspend or handle
  events in [Foundations](/docs/foundations).
</Callout>

</Step>

<Step>

## Create your API route

To invoke your new workflow, we'll create a new API route handler at `server/api/signup.post.ts` with the following code:

```typescript title="server/api/signup.post.ts"
import { start } from "workflow/api";
import { defineEventHandler, readBody } from "h3";
import { handleUserSignup } from "../workflows/user-signup";

export default defineEventHandler(async (event) => {
  const { email } = await readBody(event);

  // Executes asynchronously and doesn't block your app
  await start(handleUserSignup, [email]);

  return {
    message: "User signup workflow started",
  };
});
```

This API route creates a `POST` request endpoint at `/api/signup` that will trigger your workflow.

<Callout>
  Workflows can be triggered from API routes or any server-side
  code.
</Callout>

</Step>

<Step>

## Run in development

To start your development server, run the following command in your terminal in the Nuxt root directory:

```bash
npm run dev
```

Once your development server is running, you can trigger your workflow by running this command in the terminal:

```bash
curl -X POST --json '{"email":"hello@example.com"}' http://localhost:3000/api/signup
```

Check the Nuxt development server logs to see your workflow execute as well as the steps that are being processed.

Additionally, you can use the [Workflow SDK CLI or Web UI](/docs/observability) to inspect your workflow runs and steps in detail.

```bash
# Open the observability Web UI
npx workflow web
# or if you prefer a terminal interface, use the CLI inspect command
npx workflow inspect runs
```

![Workflow SDK Web UI](/o11y-ui.png)

</Step>

</Steps>

## Deploying to production

Workflow SDK apps currently work best when deployed to [Vercel](https://vercel.com/home) and need no special configuration.

<FluidComputeCallout />

Check the [Deploying](/docs/deploying) section to learn how your workflows can be deployed elsewhere.

## Troubleshooting

### `start()` says it received an invalid workflow function

If you see this error:

```text
'start' received an invalid workflow function. Ensure the Workflow SDK is configured correctly and the function includes a 'use workflow' directive.
```

Check both of these first:

1. The workflow function includes `"use workflow"`.
2. Your `nuxt.config.ts` includes the `workflow/nuxt` module.

See [start-invalid-workflow-function](/docs/errors/start-invalid-workflow-function) for full examples and fixes.

## Next steps

- Learn more about the [Foundations](/docs/foundations).
- Check [Errors](/docs/errors) if you encounter issues.
- Explore the [API Reference](/docs/api-reference).