Nuxt uses Nitro as its server engine, which compiles your app for any hosting platform. You build once, and Nitro adapts the output to the target: Node.js server, static files, serverless functions, or edge workers.

Two build commands

nuxt build produces a server that handles SSR, API routes, and dynamic rendering:

nuxt build
node .output/server/index.mjs

nuxt generate pre-renders every page to static HTML:

nuxt generate
# deploy .output/public/ to any static host

Presets

Tell Nitro which platform you're targeting:

// nuxt.config.ts
export default defineNuxtConfig({
  nitro: {
    preset: 'vercel'
  }
})

Or set it at build time:

NITRO_PRESET=cloudflare-pages nuxt build

Most platforms are auto-detected, so you often don't need to set a preset at all.

Platform examples

Vercel

Zero config. Vercel detects Nuxt automatically:

npm i -g vercel
vercel

Supports SSR, API routes, edge functions, and preview deployments out of the box.

Netlify

npm i -g netlify-cli
netlify deploy --prod

Good for static-heavy sites. SSR runs as serverless functions.

Cloudflare Pages

NITRO_PRESET=cloudflare-pages nuxt build

Unlimited bandwidth on the free tier. Your app runs on Cloudflare's edge network, close to users worldwide. Some Node.js APIs are not available in Workers.

Node.js server (VPS, Docker)

nuxt build
PORT=3000 node .output/server/index.mjs

Full control. Works on any server that runs Node.js.

Docker

FROM node:20-alpine AS builder
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm ci
COPY . .
RUN npm run build

FROM node:20-alpine
WORKDIR /app
COPY --from=builder /app/.output .output
ENV PORT=3000
EXPOSE 3000
CMD ["node", ".output/server/index.mjs"]

docker build -t my-app .
docker run -p 3000:3000 my-app

Choosing a platform

Need	Platform
Fastest setup, great DX	Vercel
Static site with built-in forms	Netlify
Best global performance, low cost at scale	Cloudflare Pages
Full control, existing infrastructure	Node.js on VPS or Docker

Environment variables in production

Runtime config values come from environment variables:

// nuxt.config.ts
export default defineNuxtConfig({
  runtimeConfig: {
    secretKey: '',          // server-only, reads NUXT_SECRET_KEY
    public: {
      apiBase: ''           // client + server, reads NUXT_PUBLIC_API_BASE
    }
  }
})

Set them in your platform's dashboard or .env file. Nuxt maps NUXT_ prefixed env vars to config keys automatically.

The .output directory

After building, everything lives in .output/:

.output/
├── server/
│   └── index.mjs      ← the server entry point
├── public/
│   └── _nuxt/          ← client assets (JS, CSS)
└── nitro.json          ← build metadata

This directory is self-contained. Copy it to any server and run it.