Nuxt•6d ago

How to cache API requests on the server side?

Hey guys, I've recently come across a problem where my server is making 4-5 calls to the API server on every request that comes to the Nuxt app. As a result, Nuxt takes a long time to respond to a user, as each API request needs to travel to another part of the world. I want to avoid this behaviour by leveraging caching, and storing API responses periodically. I've seen multiple solutions, including useFetch's getCachedData option, but they all address client side caching, while I need a solution for server-side caching. So, can you suggest a state-of-the-art solution for caching data on the server side?

5 Replies

kapa.ai•6d ago

Hi @MinecraftStorage. I'm kapa.ai, your friendly support bot. I will try to answer your question by searching through the knowledge base. :wave: ---------------------- To address your need for server-side caching of API requests in Nuxt, there are several approaches you can consider. Here's a state-of-the-art solution based on the knowledge sources provided: 1. Use Nitro's built-in caching capabilities: Nuxt 3 uses Nitro as its server engine, which provides powerful caching features. You can leverage route rules to implement server-side caching for your API requests. Here's how you can set it up:

export default defineNuxtConfig({
  routeRules: {
    '/api/**': { cache: { maxAge: 60 * 60 } }, // Cache API routes for 1 hour
  }
})

export default defineNuxtConfig({
  routeRules: {
    '/api/**': { cache: { maxAge: 60 * 60 } }, // Cache API routes for 1 hour
  }
})

This configuration will cache all routes under /api/ for one hour on the server side. You can adjust the maxAge value as needed. Source: Docs > Getting-started > Server 2. Implement Stale-While-Revalidate (SWR) caching strategy: For more dynamic content that needs frequent updates, you can use the SWR caching strategy. This approach serves cached content immediately while revalidating it in the background. Here's how to set it up:

export default defineNuxtConfig({
  routeRules: {
    '/api/**': { swr: true },
  }
})

export default defineNuxtConfig({
  routeRules: {
    '/api/**': { swr: true },
  }
})

This configuration will enable SWR caching for all API routes. You can also specify a custom TTL (time to live) in seconds:

'/api/**': { swr: 3600 }, // Cache for 1 hour with SWR

'/api/**': { swr: 3600 }, // Cache for 1 hour with SWR

Source: Docs > Guide > Concepts > Rendering > Hybrid Rendering 3. Use Vercel KV for distributed caching: If you're deploying your Nuxt application on Vercel or need a distributed caching solution, you can use Vercel KV. This approach is particularly useful for applications running on multiple servers or in serverless environments. Here's how to set it up: 1. Install the @vercel/kv dependency. 2. Update your Nuxt configuration:

export default defineNuxtConfig({
  nitro: {
    storage: {
      data: { driver: 'vercelKV' }
    }
  }
})

export default defineNuxtConfig({
  nitro: {
    storage: {
      data: { driver: 'vercelKV' }
    }
  }
})

3. Set the required environment variables: KV_REST_API_URL and KV_REST_API_TOKEN. 4. Use the storage in your API routes:

export default defineEventHandler(async (event) => {
  const dataStorage = useStorage("data");
  // Check cache
  const cachedData = await dataStorage.getItem("your-cache-key");
  if (cachedData) return cachedData;

  // Fetch new data if not in cache
  const newData = await fetchYourData();
  await dataStorage.setItem("your-cache-key", newData);
  return newData;
});

export default defineEventHandler(async (event) => {
  const dataStorage = useStorage("data");
  // Check cache
  const cachedData = await dataStorage.getItem("your-cache-key");
  if (cachedData) return cachedData;

  // Fetch new data if not in cache
  const newData = await fetchYourData();
  await dataStorage.setItem("your-cache-key", newData);
  return newData;
});

This approach allows you to cache API responses across multiple instances of your application. Source: Support QA By implementing one of these caching strategies, you can significantly reduce the number of API calls made by your server and improve response times. Choose the approach that best fits your specific use case and deployment environment. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•6d ago

<@1068024927946555452> Kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.

MinecraftStorageOP•5d ago

@kapa.ai Can you give me a solution specific for an application hosted on Netlify? @kapa.ai Can you give me a solution specific for an application hosted on Netlify?

kapa.ai•5d ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- Certainly! For a Nuxt application hosted on Netlify, you can implement server-side caching using Netlify's Edge Functions and KV Store. This solution is specific to Netlify and leverages its infrastructure for optimal performance. Here's how you can set it up: 1. First, make sure you're using Netlify Edge Functions. In your netlify.toml file, add:

[functions]
  directory = "netlify/edge-functions"

[functions]
  directory = "netlify/edge-functions"

2. Create a new Edge Function file, for example, netlify/edge-functions/api-cache.js:

import { sum } from 'foo'

export default async (req, context) => {
  const url = new URL(req.url)
  const cacheKey = `api-cache:${url.pathname}${url.search}`

  // Try to get the cached response
  let cachedResponse = await context.env.KV.get(cacheKey)
  
  if (cachedResponse) {
    return new Response(cachedResponse, {
      headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json', 'X-Cache': 'HIT' },
    })
  }

  // If not cached, fetch from your API
  const apiResponse = await fetch(url.toString(), {
    headers: req.headers,
  })

  const data = await apiResponse.text()

  // Cache the response (e.g., for 1 hour)
  await context.env.KV.put(cacheKey, data, { expirationTtl: 3600 })

  return new Response(data, {
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json', 'X-Cache': 'MISS' },
  })
}

import { sum } from 'foo'

export default async (req, context) => {
  const url = new URL(req.url)
  const cacheKey = `api-cache:${url.pathname}${url.search}`

  // Try to get the cached response
  let cachedResponse = await context.env.KV.get(cacheKey)
  
  if (cachedResponse) {
    return new Response(cachedResponse, {
      headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json', 'X-Cache': 'HIT' },
    })
  }

  // If not cached, fetch from your API
  const apiResponse = await fetch(url.toString(), {
    headers: req.headers,
  })

  const data = await apiResponse.text()

  // Cache the response (e.g., for 1 hour)
  await context.env.KV.put(cacheKey, data, { expirationTtl: 3600 })

  return new Response(data, {
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json', 'X-Cache': 'MISS' },
  })
}

3. To use the import map feature for better code organization, create a deno.json file at the root of your project:

{
  "imports": {
    "foo": "./utils/sum.js"
  }
}

{
  "imports": {
    "foo": "./utils/sum.js"
  }
}

4. Update your netlify.toml to include the import map:

[functions]
  directory = "netlify/edge-functions"
  deno_import_map = "./deno.json"

[functions]
  directory = "netlify/edge-functions"
  deno_import_map = "./deno.json"

Source: Stack Overflow Post > Import Nuxt3 utility function into Netlify Edge Function > Import Map 5. In your Nuxt configuration (nuxt.config.ts), set up route rules to direct API requests through your Edge Function:

export default defineNuxtConfig({
  routeRules: {
    '/api/**': { prerender: false }
  }
})

export default defineNuxtConfig({
  routeRules: {
    '/api/**': { prerender: false }
  }
})

This setup ensures that your API routes are not prerendered and will be handled by the Edge Function. With this configuration, your Netlify-hosted Nuxt application will: 1. Intercept API requests using the Edge Function. 2. Check if the response is cached in Netlify's KV Store. 3. If cached, return the cached response immediately. 4. If not cached, fetch from your actual API, cache the response, and then return it. This solution provides server-side caching specific to Netlify, leveraging its Edge Functions and KV Store. It will significantly reduce the number of calls to your API server and improve response times for your users. Remember to adjust the cache key generation and expiration time (expirationTtl) according to your specific needs. Also, ensure that you have enabled Netlify's Edge Functions and KV Store for your project in the Netlify dashboard. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•5d ago

<@1068024927946555452> Kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.

Gaming

Programming

How to cache API requests on the server side?

Did you find this page helpful?