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Integrating Cloudinary with Nuxt

cloudinary nuxt

Nuxt is a Vue-based web framework that gives developers simple, yet powerful tools for web development.

Cloudinary can help Nuxt developers build richer, performance-first visual experiences by leveraging automatic optimization and media management tools like uploading included in the Cloudinary suite.

Using Cloudinary with Nuxt

There are multiple options for integrating Cloudinary with a Nuxt app.

Nuxt Cloudinary

Nuxt Cloudinary is a community-built solution for using Cloudinary in a Nuxt project giving you the ability to automatically optimize images and add transformations like dynamic cropping and resizing.

> Important: Community-developed libraries are developed, tested and maintained by the community. Bug fixes and feature requests should be submitted in the relevant repository.

The CldImage component wraps the Unpic Vue Image component, giving a core set of image loading standards, extending it with the power of Cloudinary tech.

This includes features beyond automatic optimization like dynamic cropping and resizing, background removal, and image and text overlays.

For basic usage, first install the package with:

npm install @nuxtjs/cloudinary

Add Nuxt Cloudinary to your Nuxt modules:

export default defineNuxtConfig({
  modules: ['@nuxtjs/cloudinary']
});

Create a `.env` file with your Cloudinary environment variables:

CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME="<Your Cloudinary Cloud Name>"

And use the component in your project:

<CldImage
  width="600"
  height="600"
  src="<Public ID>"
  alt=”<Description>”
/>

Learn more about all of the components and features at: https://cloudinary.com/documentation/vue_integration

Using the Nuxt Image component

The Nuxt Image component supports loading Cloudinary as an external provider, gaining access to some of the basic features like automatic optimization.

The only configuration that is needed on top of setting up Nuxt Image is setting up the `cloudinary` property inside of your Nuxt config with the appropriate base URL.

For example:

export default defineNuxtConfig({
  image: {
    cloudinary: {
      baseURL: 'https://res.cloudinary.com/<Your Cloud Name>/image/upload/'
    }
  }
})

For more information on how to use the Nuxt Image component with Cloudinary, head over to the Nuxt docs.

Building Image & Video URLs with the Cloudinary JavaScript SDK

The JS URL Gen SDK allows developers to integrate with Cloudinary in any JavaScript-based applications.

You can use the JavaScript SDK to generate image and video URLs along with any transformations you want.

To get started, first install the JavaScript SDK with:

npm install @cloudinary/url-gen

Set up a new instance of Cloudinary with your cloud’s configuration:

import { Cloudinary } from '@cloudinary/url-gen';
const cld = new Cloudinary({
  cloud: {
    cloudName: '<Your Cloud Name>'
  }
}); 

Then use one of the available methods to generate your asset URL such as:

const myImage = cld.image('<Public ID>').format('auto').quality('auto').toURL().

Which will build an image URL that will use automatic optimization.

Learn more over on the Cloudinary Docs.

Uploading & Managing Media Assets with the Cloudinary Node.js SDK

When working in a Nuxt application, you gain access to server tools that allow you to work in a Node.js environment.

Inside Node, you can take advantage of the Cloudinary Node.js SDK to upload files and interact with other Cloudinary APIs like search and administration.

To get started, first install the Cloudinary Node.js SDK:

npm install cloudinary

Configure the package and your Cloudinary account:

const cloudinary = require('cloudinary').v2;
# or

import { v2 as cloudinary } from 'cloudinary';
cloudinary.config({
  cloud_name: '<Your Cloud Name>',
  api_key: '<Your API Key>', // Store in .env.local
  api_secret: '<Your API Secret'>, // Store in .env.local
  secure: true
});
const result = await cloudinary.uploader.upload('/path/to/image');

> Note: Avoid storing your credentials directly in the code to avoid compromising your account. Use environment variables instead to securely use your API key, API secret, and optionally your Cloud Name within your application.

Learn more over on the Cloudinary Docs.

More Resources

Learn more about how to use Cloudinary with Svelte:

QUICK TIPS
Colby Fayock
Cloudinary Logo Colby Fayock

In my experience, here are tips that can help you better integrate Cloudinary with Nuxt:

  1. Use @nuxtjs/cloudinary for seamless integration
    Install the @nuxtjs/cloudinary module to easily integrate Cloudinary with your Nuxt project. This module simplifies embedding and optimizing images with the CldImage component, providing automatic optimization and transformations such as dynamic cropping, resizing, and overlays.
  2. Leverage environment variables for secure configuration
    Store your Cloudinary credentials (cloud name, API key, and API secret) in environment variables within a .env file. This keeps sensitive information secure and ensures that your credentials are not exposed in your codebase.
  3. Optimize images with Nuxt Image component
    If you prefer using the Nuxt Image component, configure it to load Cloudinary as an external provider. This allows you to benefit from Cloudinary’s optimization features, such as automatic format selection and quality adjustments, directly within your Nuxt project.
  4. Combine Cloudinary’s JavaScript SDK for custom transformations
    For advanced use cases, integrate Cloudinary’s JavaScript SDK (@cloudinary/url-gen) to generate dynamic URLs for images and videos. This gives you the flexibility to apply custom transformations, such as format conversion or quality optimization, based on user interactions or specific application needs.
  5. Use Cloudinary Node.js SDK for server-side media management
    In a Nuxt app with server-side functionality, take advantage of the Cloudinary Node.js SDK to handle media uploads, search, and management tasks directly from your server. This is particularly useful for automating asset handling, such as bulk uploads or administrative tasks.
  6. Enable responsive images with CldImage
    Implement responsive images using the CldImage component’s width and height properties along with Cloudinary’s transformation capabilities. This ensures that images are automatically resized and optimized based on the user’s device, reducing load times and improving performance.
  7. Integrate Cloudinary with Nuxt’s API routes
    Use Nuxt’s API routes to create custom endpoints that interact with Cloudinary’s APIs. This setup allows you to build custom media uploaders, real-time image transformations, or complex asset management workflows directly within your Nuxt application.
  8. Optimize video content delivery
    Extend your use of Cloudinary beyond images to manage and deliver video content within your Nuxt app. Use Cloudinary’s transformation tools to optimize video formats, apply watermarks, or trim videos, ensuring efficient delivery based on user bandwidth and device capabilities.
  9. Experiment with Cloudinary’s advanced features like AI-based transformations
    Explore advanced Cloudinary features such as AI-based image cropping, background removal, or auto-tagging. These features can be integrated with Nuxt to enhance user experience and automate content creation workflows.
  10. Monitor performance with Cloudinary Analytics and Nuxt DevTools
    Use Cloudinary’s analytics tools alongside Nuxt DevTools to monitor the performance of your media assets. This allows you to track optimization metrics, asset usage, and loading times, ensuring that your application remains performant and responsive.
Last updated: Aug 24, 2024