| name | tanstack-start-client-only |
| description | Configure TanStack Start in client-only mode (defaultSsr=false) for SPA-like behavior without server-side rendering. |
TanStack Start Client-Only Mode
Overview
This skill covers configuring TanStack Start to run in client-only mode by disabling server-side rendering (SSR). This is useful when you want SPA-like behavior or when your application doesn't benefit from SSR.
When to Use Client-Only Mode
Use client-only mode when:
- Building a traditional SPA that doesn't need SEO
- Your app is behind authentication (private dashboards, admin panels)
- You want faster development iteration without SSR complexity
- Your backend is a separate API service
- You don't need initial page load performance optimizations
Step 1: Configure Router with defaultSsr=false
Modify your src/router.tsx to disable SSR:
import { createRouter } from '@tanstack/react-router'
import { routeTree } from './routeTree.gen'
export const router = createRouter({
routeTree,
defaultSsr: false,
})
declare module '@tanstack/react-router' {
interface Register {
router: typeof router
}
}
Step 2: Per-Route SSR Control (Optional)
You can also control SSR on a per-route basis by setting ssr: false in individual route definitions:
import { createFileRoute } from '@tanstack/react-router'
export const Route = createFileRoute('/dashboard')({
ssr: false,
component: DashboardComponent,
})
function DashboardComponent() {
return <div>Dashboard (Client-Only)</div>
}
Step 3: Update Root Route for Client-Only
Ensure your src/routes/__root.tsx is properly configured for client-only rendering:
import { createRootRoute, Outlet } from '@tanstack/react-router'
export const Route = createRootRoute({
component: () => (
<html>
<head>
<meta charSet="UTF-8" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
<title>TanStack Start App (Client-Only)</title>
</head>
<body>
<div id="root">
<Outlet />
</div>
</body>
</html>
),
})
Step 4: Handle Browser-Only APIs
In client-only mode, you can safely use browser APIs without checking for SSR:
import { createFileRoute } from '@tanstack/react-router'
import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
export const Route = createFileRoute('/example')({
component: ExampleComponent,
})
function ExampleComponent() {
const [data, setData] = useState(null)
useEffect(() => {
const stored = localStorage.getItem('data')
if (stored) {
setData(JSON.parse(stored))
}
console.log('Window size:', window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight)
}, [])
return <div>Example Component</div>
}
Step 5: Configure Vite for Client-Only (Optional)
For pure client-only builds, you can simplify your vite.config.ts:
import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
import { tanstackStart } from '@tanstack/react-start/plugin/vite'
import viteReact from '@vitejs/plugin-react'
import tsconfigPaths from 'vite-tsconfig-paths'
export default defineConfig({
server: {
port: 3000,
},
plugins: [
tsconfigPaths(),
tanstackStart({
ssr: false,
}),
viteReact(),
],
})
Step 6: Environment Variables for Client-Only
Create .env for client-side environment variables:
VITE_API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8000/api/v1
VITE_APP_NAME=My TanStack App
Access them in your components:
const apiBaseUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_API_BASE_URL
const appName = import.meta.env.VITE_APP_NAME
Note: In client-only mode, all VITE_* variables are exposed to the client bundle. Never store secrets here.
Step 7: Build and Deploy
Build your client-only application:
bun run build
This creates a static bundle in .output/ that can be deployed to:
- Static hosting (Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages)
- CDN
- Traditional web servers (nginx, Apache)
Comparison: SSR vs Client-Only
| Feature | SSR (default) | Client-Only (defaultSsr=false) |
|---|
| Initial page load | Fully rendered HTML | Empty HTML shell |
| SEO | Excellent | Limited (depends on crawlers) |
| Time to First Byte (TTFB) | Slower (server processing) | Fast (static HTML) |
| JavaScript bundle | Hydration required | Direct execution |
| Server-side APIs | Available via server functions | Must use external API |
| Browser APIs | Require checks | Always available |
| Deployment | Node.js server required | Static hosting works |
Best Practices
-
Use client-only for authenticated apps: Dashboards, admin panels, and internal tools benefit from simpler client-only architecture.
-
Combine both modes: Use SSR for marketing pages (/, /pricing, /blog) and client-only for app routes (/dashboard/*, /settings/*):
export const Route = createRootRoute({
component: RootComponent,
})
export const Route = createFileRoute('/')({
component: HomePage,
})
export const Route = createFileRoute('/dashboard')({
ssr: false,
component: Dashboard,
})
- Optimize bundle size: In client-only mode, the entire app loads on first visit. Use code splitting:
import { lazy } from 'react'
const HeavyComponent = lazy(() => import('./HeavyComponent'))
function Dashboard() {
return (
<div>
<Suspense fallback={<div>Loading...</div>}>
<HeavyComponent />
</Suspense>
</div>
)
}
- Handle loading states: Without SSR, users see blank screens until JavaScript loads. Add loading indicators:
export const Route = createRootRoute({
component: () => (
<html>
<head>
<meta charSet="UTF-8" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
<title>TanStack Start App</title>
<style>{`
.app-loading {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;
height: 100vh;
font-family: system-ui;
}
`}</style>
</head>
<body>
<div id="root">
<div className="app-loading">Loading application...</div>
<Outlet />
</div>
</body>
</html>
),
})
Verification
After configuring client-only mode:
- Start the development server:
bun run dev
- Open browser DevTools → Network tab
- Check the initial HTML response - it should contain minimal HTML without rendered content
- Verify JavaScript executes and renders the application
- Test that browser APIs work without SSR checks
Troubleshooting
Issue: "window is not defined" errors
Cause: Accidentally running SSR code when defaultSsr: false isn't set.
Solution: Ensure defaultSsr: false in router configuration:
export const router = createRouter({
routeTree,
defaultSsr: false,
})
Issue: Blank page on load
Cause: JavaScript bundle failed to load or execute.
Solution: Check browser console for errors and verify bundle path in network tab.
Issue: Hydration warnings
Cause: Mixing SSR and client-only rendering.
Solution: Be consistent - either use defaultSsr: false globally or manage per-route carefully.
Notes
- Client-only mode simplifies development by removing SSR complexity
- Perfect for apps that don't need SEO or fast initial loads
- Can be combined with SSR on a per-route basis for hybrid applications
- All TanStack Router features (nested routes, loaders, search params) work in client-only mode
- React Query works identically in both SSR and client-only modes
Next Steps
After configuring client-only mode:
- Set up TanStack Query for data fetching (see
tanstack-react-query-setup skill)
- Add authentication guards (see
tanstack-client-auth skill)
- Configure API client layer (see
tanstack-client-api-layer skill)
- Set up Tailwind CSS and shadcn/ui (see
tanstack-shadcn-setup skill)
