| name | vue |
| description | Show how to use custom elements in Vue, including required configuration for the Vue compiler. Use when the user asks to "use in Vue", "Vue custom elements", "custom elements in Vue", "isCustomElement", or mentions "Vue 3", "Vue 2", "Nuxt", or "vue integration". |
| tools | Read, Glob, Grep |
Custom Elements in Vue
Generate framework-specific guidance for using custom elements in Vue, including required compiler configuration.
Workflow
Phase 1: Detect Vue Version and Build Setup
Search the project for Vue version and tooling:
- Check
package.json for vue version (2.x vs 3.x)
- Check for build tool: Vite (
vite.config), Vue CLI (vue.config), Nuxt (nuxt.config), or webpack
- Check for TypeScript usage
- Check for existing custom element configuration
Phase 2: Gather Element Data
Read the target element(s):
cem://element/{tagName}
cem://element/{tagName}/attributes
cem://element/{tagName}/events
cem://element/{tagName}/slots
Understand which features need framework-specific handling:
- Attributes vs properties: Vue can bind either with different syntax
- Events: Vue's
v-on / @ syntax works with custom events
- Slots: Vue slots and web component slots interact
- v-model: May need custom setup for two-way binding
Phase 3: Required Configuration
Vue 3 + Vite
import { defineConfig } from 'vite';
import vue from '@vitejs/plugin-vue';
export default defineConfig({
plugins: [
vue({
template: {
compilerOptions: {
isCustomElement: (tag) => tag.includes('-'),
},
},
}),
],
});
If the project only uses elements from specific libraries, be more specific:
isCustomElement: (tag) => tag.startsWith('my-') || tag.startsWith('prefix-'),
Vue 3 + Vue CLI (webpack)
module.exports = {
chainWebpack: (config) => {
config.module
.rule('vue')
.use('vue-loader')
.tap((options) => ({
...options,
compilerOptions: {
isCustomElement: (tag) => tag.includes('-'),
},
}));
},
};
Nuxt 3
export default defineNuxtConfig({
vue: {
compilerOptions: {
isCustomElement: (tag) => tag.includes('-'),
},
},
});
Vue 2
Vue 2 uses Vue.config.ignoredElements:
Vue.config.ignoredElements = [
'my-element',
/^prefix-/,
];
Note: Vue 2 reached end-of-life on December 31, 2023. Consider migrating to Vue 3.
Phase 4: Generate Integration Code
Basic Usage
<template>
<my-element
variant="primary"
:disabled="isDisabled"
@my-event="handleEvent"
>
Default slot content
</my-element>
</template>
<script setup lang="ts">
import { ref } from 'vue';
import 'my-element-library';
const isDisabled = ref(false);
function handleEvent(e: CustomEvent) {
console.log(e.detail);
}
</script>
Attribute vs Property Binding
<template>
<!-- Attribute binding (string coercion) -->
<my-element variant="primary" />
<!-- Property binding (passes JS values directly) -->
<my-element :complex-data="myObject" />
<!-- or explicitly with .prop modifier -->
<my-element :complex-data.prop="myObject" />
<!-- Boolean attribute -->
<my-element :disabled="true" />
<!-- or just present for true -->
<my-element disabled />
</template>
Vue 3 passes :bound values as properties if the element has a matching property, and as attributes otherwise. Use the .prop modifier to force property binding.
In Vue 2, use the .prop modifier explicitly:
<my-element :complex-data.prop="myObject" />
Event Handling
Vue's @ / v-on works with custom element events:
<template>
<!-- kebab-case event names work directly -->
<my-element @my-event="handleMyEvent" />
<!-- Access event detail -->
<my-element @change="(e) => value = e.detail.value" />
</template>
Note: Vue converts @myEvent to listen for my-event (camelCase to kebab-case). If the custom element fires a camelCase event name, use the explicit form:
<my-element v-on:myEvent="handler" />
Slots
Web component slots and Vue slots coexist but work differently:
Important: Do not use Vue's v-slot / #slotname syntax for web component slots. Use the native HTML slot="name" attribute instead.
<template>
<my-element>
<!-- Default slot -->
<span>Content goes to the default slot</span>
<!-- Named slots — use the native HTML slot attribute -->
<span slot="header">This goes to the web component's header slot</span>
<span slot="footer">This goes to the web component's footer slot</span>
</my-element>
</template>
v-model
Custom elements don't support v-model out of the box. Wire it up manually:
<template>
<my-input
:value="inputValue"
@input="inputValue = $event.detail.value"
/>
</template>
Or create a composable for reusable v-model binding:
function useCustomElementModel(eventName = 'input', detailKey = 'value') {
return {
modelValue: (props: any) => props.modelValue,
listener: (emit: any) => (e: CustomEvent) => emit('update:modelValue', e.detail[detailKey]),
};
}
TypeScript
Add type declarations for custom elements in Vue templates:
declare module 'vue' {
interface GlobalComponents {
'my-element': import('my-element-library').MyElement;
}
}
For more detailed type checking, use the element's type with Vue's HTMLAttributes:
declare module 'vue' {
interface GlobalComponents {
'my-element': DefineComponent<{
variant?: 'primary' | 'secondary';
disabled?: boolean;
}>;
}
}
Phase 5: Output
Present the integration with:
- Required config appropriate to the project's build tool
- Usage examples for each element the user asked about
- Property binding for complex (non-string) properties
- Event handling for each event in the manifest
- Slot usage with the correct native
slot attribute (not Vue v-slot)
- TypeScript declarations if the project uses TypeScript
Guidelines
- Always include the
isCustomElement config: Without it, Vue warns about unresolved components
- Use native
slot attribute, not v-slot: This is the most common mistake when using web components in Vue
- Prefer
:prop binding for non-strings: Vue's property binding passes values correctly to custom elements
- Check for Nuxt: Nuxt has its own config location for compiler options
- Note Vue 2 EOL: If the project uses Vue 2, mention the EOL status but still provide working guidance