Nitro

name: deploy-presets description: Deployment presets for runtimes and providers, compatibility dates, and platform integration in Nitro

Deployment Presets

Nitro builds the same code into different output formats via presets. Most providers are auto-detected in CI; otherwise set the preset explicitly.

nitro build --preset cloudflare_module
# or env var:
NITRO_PRESET=vercel nitro build

import { defineConfig } from "nitro";

export default defineConfig({
  preset: "cloudflare_pages",
  defaultPreset: "node_cluster", // fallback when nothing is detected
});

The default production preset is node_server; dev always uses the isolated nitro_dev preset.

Runtime presets

Node server env vars: NITRO_PORT/PORT (3000), NITRO_HOST/HOST, NITRO_UNIX_SOCKET, NITRO_SSL_CERT/NITRO_SSL_KEY, and graceful-shutdown controls (NITRO_SHUTDOWN_*).

Provider presets

Compatibility dates

Providers evolve; Nitro uses a compatibility date to lock behavior at project creation and opt into updates deliberately.

export default defineConfig({
  compatibilityDate: "2025-01-01",
});

Platform integration highlights

Cloudflare (cloudflare_module): access bindings via event.req.runtime.cloudflare.env:

import { defineHandler } from "nitro";

export default defineHandler(async (event) => {
  const { env } = event.req.runtime.cloudflare;
  const { results } = await env.MY_D1.prepare("SELECT id FROM t").all();
  return results;
});

Dev uses Miniflare to emulate bindings (define them in wrangler.json/.toml or inline via cloudflare.wrangler). scheduledTasks auto-generate Cron Triggers. Platform hooks: cloudflare:scheduled, cloudflare:email, cloudflare:queue, cloudflare:tail.

Vercel (vercel): use routes/api/ (not api/). scheduledTasks → Vercel Cron Jobs (secure with CRON_SECRET); isr route rules → ISR; external proxy route rules become CDN rewrites. Per-route function config via vercel.functionRules; Bun runtime via vercel.functions.runtime. Vercel Queues via the vercel:queue hook.

Prefer Nitro's portable abstractions (storage, database) over low-level platform bindings for stability across targets.

Key Points

• One codebase → many targets; switch with preset / NITRO_PRESET / --preset.

• node_server is the default; bun and deno_server optimize for those runtimes.

• Cloudflare/Vercel/Netlify are zero-config in their CI; set the preset explicitly elsewhere.

• Set compatibilityDate and update it deliberately (test after each bump).

• v2→v3 renamed many presets (e.g. cloudflare* → cloudflare_module, vercel-edge → vercel, azure* → azure_swa).

<!-- Source references: - https://nitro.build/deploy - https://nitro.build/deploy/runtimes/node - https://nitro.build/deploy/providers/cloudflare - https://nitro.build/deploy/providers/vercel -->