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TanStack React Start provides SSR, streaming, server functions, API routes, and bundling powered by TanStack Router and Vite, ready to deploy to your favorite hosting provider.

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Installation

Install the React Start package: 
npm install @tanstack/react-start

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Vite Plugin Setup

Configure the TanStack Start Vite plugin in your vite.config.ts: 
import { tanstackStart } from '@tanstack/react-start/plugin/vite'
import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
import viteReact from '@vitejs/plugin-react'

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
    tanstackStart({
      srcDirectory: 'src',
    }),
    viteReact(),
  ],
})

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Router Setup

Create your router instance in src/router.tsx: 
import { createRouter } from '@tanstack/react-router'
import { routeTree } from './routeTree.gen'

export function getRouter() {
  const router = createRouter({
    routeTree,
    defaultPreload: 'intent',
  })
  return router
}

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Server Functions

TanStack React Start provides server functions for executing code on the server with full type safety.

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Creating Server Functions

Use createServerFn to define server-side logic: 
import { createServerFn } from '@tanstack/react-start'

const getUser = createServerFn()
  .handler(async () => {
    // This code runs only on the server
    const user = await db.user.findFirst()
    return user
  })

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Using Server Functions in Components

Call server functions using the useServerFn hook: 
import { useServerFn } from '@tanstack/react-start'

function UserProfile() {
  const fetchUser = useServerFn(getUser)
  
  const handleClick = async () => {
    const user = await fetchUser()
    console.log(user)
  }
  
  return <button onClick={handleClick}>Load User</button>
}
The useServerFn hook automatically handles:
  • Type-safe function calls
  • Redirect responses from server functions
  • Integration with TanStack Router navigation

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Middleware

Add middleware to server functions for shared logic like authentication, logging, or data validation.

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Creating Middleware

import { createMiddleware } from '@tanstack/react-start'

const authMiddleware = createMiddleware()
  .server(async ({ next, context }) => {
    const user = await getSessionUser()
    
    if (!user) {
      throw new Error('Unauthorized')
    }
    
    return next({
      context: {
        user,
      },
    })
  })

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Using Middleware in Server Functions

const protectedAction = createServerFn()
  .middleware([authMiddleware])
  .handler(async ({ context }) => {
    // context.user is typed and available
    return { userId: context.user.id }
  })

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Input Validation

Validate server function inputs with validators like Zod, Valibot, or ArkType: 
import { createServerFn } from '@tanstack/react-start'
import { z } from 'zod'

const updateUser = createServerFn()
  .inputValidator(z.object({
    name: z.string(),
    email: z.string().email(),
  }))
  .handler(async ({ data }) => {
    // data is fully typed based on the validator
    await db.user.update({
      where: { id: data.id },
      data: { name: data.name, email: data.email },
    })
  })

// Call with type-safe data
await updateUser({ 
  data: { 
    name: 'John', 
    email: '[email protected]' 
  } 
})

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HTTP Methods

Server functions support both GET and POST methods: 
// GET request (default)
const getData = createServerFn().handler(async () => {
  return { data: 'value' }
})

// POST request
const postData = createServerFn({ method: 'POST' })
  .handler(async ({ data }) => {
    return { success: true }
  })

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Client and Server Contexts

Share context between client and server: 
const contextMiddleware = createMiddleware()
  .client(async ({ next }) => {
    return next({
      sendContext: {
        clientTimestamp: Date.now(),
      },
    })
  })
  .server(async ({ context, next }) => {
    console.log('Client timestamp:', context.clientTimestamp)
    return next()
  })

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Package Exports

TanStack React Start provides several package exports:
  • @tanstack/react-start - Main client exports
  • @tanstack/react-start/server - Server-only utilities
  • @tanstack/react-start/client - Client-only utilities
  • @tanstack/react-start/plugin/vite - Vite plugin
  • @tanstack/react-start/server-rpc - Server RPC utilities
  • @tanstack/react-start/client-rpc - Client RPC utilities
  • @tanstack/react-start/ssr-rpc - SSR RPC utilities

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React-Specific Features

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React Server Components (RSC)

TanStack React Start supports React Server Components for optimized server rendering: 
// Server Component
export default async function UserList() {
  const users = await getUsers()
  
  return (
    <ul>
      {users.map(user => (
        <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>
      ))}
    </ul>
  )
}

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Streaming

Support for React Suspense and streaming SSR: 
import { Suspense } from 'react'

function App() {
  return (
    <Suspense fallback={<div>Loading...</div>}>
      <AsyncContent />
    </Suspense>
  )
}

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TypeScript Configuration

Ensure your tsconfig.json includes: 
{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "jsx": "react-jsx",
    "module": "ESNext",
    "moduleResolution": "bundler",
    "target": "ES2022",
    "lib": ["ES2022", "DOM", "DOM.Iterable"],
    "strict": true
  }
}

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Peer Dependencies

TanStack React Start requires:
  • React >= 18.0.0 or >= 19.0.0
  • React DOM >= 18.0.0 or >= 19.0.0
  • Vite >= 7.0.0

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Next Steps

Server Functions

Learn more about creating and using server functions

Routing

Explore TanStack Router features

Examples

Browse React Start examples

API Reference

View the complete API documentation

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