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SvelteKitGetting started

Web standards

Throughout this documentation, you’ll see references to the standard Web APIs that SvelteKit builds on top of. Rather than reinventing the wheel, we use the platform, which means your existing web development skills are applicable to SvelteKit. Conversely, time spent learning SvelteKit will help you be a better web developer elsewhere.

These APIs are available in all modern browsers and in many non-browser environments like Cloudflare Workers, Deno, and Vercel Functions. During development, and in adapters for Node-based environments (including AWS Lambda), they’re made available via polyfills where necessary (for now, that is — Node is rapidly adding support for more web standards).

In particular, you’ll get comfortable with the following:

Fetch APIs

SvelteKit uses fetch for getting data from the network. It’s available in hooks and server routes as well as in the browser.

A special version of fetch is available in load functions, server hooks and API routes for invoking endpoints directly during server-side rendering, without making an HTTP call, while preserving credentials. (To make credentialled fetches in server-side code outside load, you must explicitly pass cookie and/or authorization headers.) It also allows you to make relative requests, whereas server-side fetch normally requires a fully qualified URL.

Besides fetch itself, the Fetch API includes the following interfaces:

Request

An instance of Request is accessible in hooks and server routes as event.request. It contains useful methods like request.json() and request.formData() for getting data that was posted to an endpoint.

Response

An instance of Response is returned from await fetch(...) and handlers in +server.js files. Fundamentally, a SvelteKit app is a machine for turning a Request into a Response.

Headers

The Headers interface allows you to read incoming request.headers and set outgoing response.headers. For example, you can get the request.headers as shown below, and use the json convenience function to send modified response.headers:

src/routes/what-is-my-user-agent/+server
import { function json(data: any, init?: ResponseInit | undefined): Response
Create a JSON Response object from the supplied data.


@paramdata The value that will be serialized as JSON.
@paraminit Options such as status and headers that will be added to the response. Content-Type: application/json and Content-Length headers will be added automatically.
json } from '@sveltejs/kit';

/** @type {import('./$types').RequestHandler} */
export function 
function GET({ request }: {
    request: any;
}): Response
@type{import('./$types').RequestHandler}
GET({ request: anyrequest }) {
	// log all headers
	var console: Console
The console module provides a simple debugging console that is similar to the
JavaScript console mechanism provided by web browsers.


The module exports two specific components:


    

  • A Console class with methods such as console.log(), console.error() and console.warn() that can be used to write to any Node.js stream.
    • 

  • A global console instance configured to write to process.stdout and
process.stderr. The global console can be used without calling require('console').
    • 



Warning: The global console object’s methods are neither consistently
synchronous like the browser APIs they resemble, nor are they consistently
asynchronous like all other Node.js streams. See the note on process I/O for
more information.


Example using the global console:


console.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints error message and stack trace to stderr:
//   Error: Whoops, something bad happened
//     at [eval]:5:15
//     at Script.runInThisContext (node:vm:132:18)
//     at Object.runInThisContext (node:vm:309:38)
//     at node:internal/process/execution:77:19
//     at [eval]-wrapper:6:22
//     at evalScript (node:internal/process/execution:76:60)
//     at node:internal/main/eval_string:23:3

const name = 'Will Robinson';
console.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to stderr
Example using the Console class:


const out = getStreamSomehow();
const err = getStreamSomehow();
const myConsole = new console.Console(out, err);

myConsole.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints: [Error: Whoops, something bad happened], to err

const name = 'Will Robinson';
myConsole.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to err
@seesource
console.Console.log(message?: any, ...optionalParams: any[]): void (+1 overload)
Prints to stdout with newline. Multiple arguments can be passed, with the
first used as the primary message and all additional used as substitution
values similar to printf(3)
(the arguments are all passed to util.format()).


const count = 5;
console.log('count: %d', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
console.log('count:', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
See util.format() for more information.


@sincev0.1.100
log(...request: anyrequest.headers);

	// create a JSON Response using a header we received
	return function json(data: any, init?: ResponseInit | undefined): Response
Create a JSON Response object from the supplied data.


@paramdata The value that will be serialized as JSON.
@paraminit Options such as status and headers that will be added to the response. Content-Type: application/json and Content-Length headers will be added automatically.
json({
		// retrieve a specific header
		userAgent: anyuserAgent: request: anyrequest.headers.get('user-agent')
	}, {
		// set a header on the response
		ResponseInit.headers?: HeadersInit | undefinedheaders: { 'x-custom-header': 'potato' }
	});
}
import { function json(data: any, init?: ResponseInit | undefined): Response
Create a JSON Response object from the supplied data.


@paramdata The value that will be serialized as JSON.
@paraminit Options such as status and headers that will be added to the response. Content-Type: application/json and Content-Length headers will be added automatically.
json } from '@sveltejs/kit';
import type { 
type RequestHandler = (event: Kit.RequestEvent<Record<string, any>, string | null>) => MaybePromise<Response>
type RequestHandler = (event: Kit.RequestEvent<Record<string, any>, string | null>) => MaybePromise<Response>
RequestHandler } from './$types';

export const const GET: RequestHandlerGET: 
type RequestHandler = (event: Kit.RequestEvent<Record<string, any>, string | null>) => MaybePromise<Response>
type RequestHandler = (event: Kit.RequestEvent<Record<string, any>, string | null>) => MaybePromise<Response>
RequestHandler = ({ request: Request
The original request object


request }) => {
	// log all headers
	var console: Console
The console module provides a simple debugging console that is similar to the
JavaScript console mechanism provided by web browsers.


The module exports two specific components:


    

  • A Console class with methods such as console.log(), console.error() and console.warn() that can be used to write to any Node.js stream.
    • 

  • A global console instance configured to write to process.stdout and
process.stderr. The global console can be used without calling require('console').
    • 



Warning: The global console object’s methods are neither consistently
synchronous like the browser APIs they resemble, nor are they consistently
asynchronous like all other Node.js streams. See the note on process I/O for
more information.


Example using the global console:


console.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints error message and stack trace to stderr:
//   Error: Whoops, something bad happened
//     at [eval]:5:15
//     at Script.runInThisContext (node:vm:132:18)
//     at Object.runInThisContext (node:vm:309:38)
//     at node:internal/process/execution:77:19
//     at [eval]-wrapper:6:22
//     at evalScript (node:internal/process/execution:76:60)
//     at node:internal/main/eval_string:23:3

const name = 'Will Robinson';
console.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to stderr
Example using the Console class:


const out = getStreamSomehow();
const err = getStreamSomehow();
const myConsole = new console.Console(out, err);

myConsole.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints: [Error: Whoops, something bad happened], to err

const name = 'Will Robinson';
myConsole.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to err
@seesource
console.Console.log(message?: any, ...optionalParams: any[]): void (+1 overload)
Prints to stdout with newline. Multiple arguments can be passed, with the
first used as the primary message and all additional used as substitution
values similar to printf(3)
(the arguments are all passed to util.format()).


const count = 5;
console.log('count: %d', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
console.log('count:', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
See util.format() for more information.


@sincev0.1.100
log(...request: Request
The original request object


request.Request.headers: Headers
Returns a Headers object consisting of the headers associated with request. Note that headers added in the network layer by the user agent will not be accounted for in this object, e.g., the “Host” header.


MDN Reference


headers);

	// create a JSON Response using a header we received
	return function json(data: any, init?: ResponseInit | undefined): Response
Create a JSON Response object from the supplied data.


@paramdata The value that will be serialized as JSON.
@paraminit Options such as status and headers that will be added to the response. Content-Type: application/json and Content-Length headers will be added automatically.
json({
		// retrieve a specific header
		userAgent: string | nulluserAgent: request: Request
The original request object


request.Request.headers: Headers
Returns a Headers object consisting of the headers associated with request. Note that headers added in the network layer by the user agent will not be accounted for in this object, e.g., the “Host” header.


MDN Reference


headers.Headers.get(name: string): string | null
MDN Reference


get('user-agent')
	}, {
		// set a header on the response
		ResponseInit.headers?: HeadersInit | undefinedheaders: { 'x-custom-header': 'potato' }
	});
};

FormData

When dealing with HTML native form submissions you’ll be working with FormData objects.

src/routes/hello/+server
import { function json(data: any, init?: ResponseInit | undefined): Response
Create a JSON Response object from the supplied data.


@paramdata The value that will be serialized as JSON.
@paraminit Options such as status and headers that will be added to the response. Content-Type: application/json and Content-Length headers will be added automatically.
json } from '@sveltejs/kit';

/** @type {import('./$types').RequestHandler} */
export async function function POST(event: any): Promise<Response>
@type{import('./$types').RequestHandler}
POST(event: anyevent) {
	const const body: anybody = await event: anyevent.request.formData();

	// log all fields
	var console: Console
The console module provides a simple debugging console that is similar to the
JavaScript console mechanism provided by web browsers.


The module exports two specific components:


    

  • A Console class with methods such as console.log(), console.error() and console.warn() that can be used to write to any Node.js stream.
    • 

  • A global console instance configured to write to process.stdout and
process.stderr. The global console can be used without calling require('console').
    • 



Warning: The global console object’s methods are neither consistently
synchronous like the browser APIs they resemble, nor are they consistently
asynchronous like all other Node.js streams. See the note on process I/O for
more information.


Example using the global console:


console.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints error message and stack trace to stderr:
//   Error: Whoops, something bad happened
//     at [eval]:5:15
//     at Script.runInThisContext (node:vm:132:18)
//     at Object.runInThisContext (node:vm:309:38)
//     at node:internal/process/execution:77:19
//     at [eval]-wrapper:6:22
//     at evalScript (node:internal/process/execution:76:60)
//     at node:internal/main/eval_string:23:3

const name = 'Will Robinson';
console.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to stderr
Example using the Console class:


const out = getStreamSomehow();
const err = getStreamSomehow();
const myConsole = new console.Console(out, err);

myConsole.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints: [Error: Whoops, something bad happened], to err

const name = 'Will Robinson';
myConsole.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to err
@seesource
console.Console.log(message?: any, ...optionalParams: any[]): void (+1 overload)
Prints to stdout with newline. Multiple arguments can be passed, with the
first used as the primary message and all additional used as substitution
values similar to printf(3)
(the arguments are all passed to util.format()).


const count = 5;
console.log('count: %d', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
console.log('count:', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
See util.format() for more information.


@sincev0.1.100
log([...const body: anybody]);

	return function json(data: any, init?: ResponseInit | undefined): Response
Create a JSON Response object from the supplied data.


@paramdata The value that will be serialized as JSON.
@paraminit Options such as status and headers that will be added to the response. Content-Type: application/json and Content-Length headers will be added automatically.
json({
		// get a specific field's value
		name: anyname: const body: anybody.get('name') ?? 'world'
	});
}
import { function json(data: any, init?: ResponseInit | undefined): Response
Create a JSON Response object from the supplied data.


@paramdata The value that will be serialized as JSON.
@paraminit Options such as status and headers that will be added to the response. Content-Type: application/json and Content-Length headers will be added automatically.
json } from '@sveltejs/kit';
import type { 
type RequestHandler = (event: Kit.RequestEvent<Record<string, any>, string | null>) => MaybePromise<Response>
type RequestHandler = (event: Kit.RequestEvent<Record<string, any>, string | null>) => MaybePromise<Response>
RequestHandler } from './$types';

export const const POST: RequestHandlerPOST: 
type RequestHandler = (event: Kit.RequestEvent<Record<string, any>, string | null>) => MaybePromise<Response>
type RequestHandler = (event: Kit.RequestEvent<Record<string, any>, string | null>) => MaybePromise<Response>
RequestHandler = async (event: Kit.RequestEvent<Record<string, any>, string | null>event) => {
	const const body: FormDatabody = await event: Kit.RequestEvent<Record<string, any>, string | null>event.RequestEvent<Record<string, any>, string | null>.request: Request
The original request object


request.Body.formData(): Promise<FormData>
MDN Reference


formData();

	// log all fields
	var console: Console
The console module provides a simple debugging console that is similar to the
JavaScript console mechanism provided by web browsers.


The module exports two specific components:


    

  • A Console class with methods such as console.log(), console.error() and console.warn() that can be used to write to any Node.js stream.
    • 

  • A global console instance configured to write to process.stdout and
process.stderr. The global console can be used without calling require('console').
    • 



Warning: The global console object’s methods are neither consistently
synchronous like the browser APIs they resemble, nor are they consistently
asynchronous like all other Node.js streams. See the note on process I/O for
more information.


Example using the global console:


console.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints error message and stack trace to stderr:
//   Error: Whoops, something bad happened
//     at [eval]:5:15
//     at Script.runInThisContext (node:vm:132:18)
//     at Object.runInThisContext (node:vm:309:38)
//     at node:internal/process/execution:77:19
//     at [eval]-wrapper:6:22
//     at evalScript (node:internal/process/execution:76:60)
//     at node:internal/main/eval_string:23:3

const name = 'Will Robinson';
console.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to stderr
Example using the Console class:


const out = getStreamSomehow();
const err = getStreamSomehow();
const myConsole = new console.Console(out, err);

myConsole.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints: [Error: Whoops, something bad happened], to err

const name = 'Will Robinson';
myConsole.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to err
@seesource
console.Console.log(message?: any, ...optionalParams: any[]): void (+1 overload)
Prints to stdout with newline. Multiple arguments can be passed, with the
first used as the primary message and all additional used as substitution
values similar to printf(3)
(the arguments are all passed to util.format()).


const count = 5;
console.log('count: %d', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
console.log('count:', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
See util.format() for more information.


@sincev0.1.100
log([...const body: FormDatabody]);

	return function json(data: any, init?: ResponseInit | undefined): Response
Create a JSON Response object from the supplied data.


@paramdata The value that will be serialized as JSON.
@paraminit Options such as status and headers that will be added to the response. Content-Type: application/json and Content-Length headers will be added automatically.
json({
		// get a specific field's value
		name: FormDataEntryValuename: const body: FormDatabody.FormData.get(name: string): FormDataEntryValue | null
MDN Reference


get('name') ?? 'world'
	});
};

Stream APIs

Most of the time, your endpoints will return complete data, as in the userAgent example above. Sometimes, you may need to return a response that’s too large to fit in memory in one go, or is delivered in chunks, and for this the platform provides streams — ReadableStream, WritableStream and TransformStream.

URL APIs

URLs are represented by the URL interface, which includes useful properties like origin and pathname (and, in the browser, hash). This interface shows up in various places — event.url in hooks and server routes, page.url in pages, from and to in beforeNavigate and afterNavigate and so on.

URLSearchParams

Wherever you encounter a URL, you can access query parameters via url.searchParams, which is an instance of URLSearchParams:

const const foo: string | nullfoo = const url: URLurl.URL.searchParams: URLSearchParams
MDN Reference


searchParams.URLSearchParams.get(name: string): string | null
Returns the first value associated to the given search parameter.


MDN Reference


get('foo');

Web Crypto

The Web Crypto API is made available via the crypto global. It’s used internally for Content Security Policy headers, but you can also use it for things like generating UUIDs:

const const uuid: `${string}-${string}-${string}-${string}-${string}`uuid = var crypto: Crypto
MDN Reference


crypto.Crypto.randomUUID(): `${string}-${string}-${string}-${string}-${string}`
Available only in secure contexts.


MDN Reference


randomUUID();

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