Getting Started with Tanstack/Start

Package Setup

Install the packages

npm install uploadthing @uploadthing/react

Add env variables

UPLOADTHING_TOKEN=... # A token for interacting with the SDK

Set Up A FileRouter

Creating your first FileRoute

All files uploaded to uploadthing are associated with a FileRoute. The following is a very minimalistic example, with a single FileRoute "imageUploader". Think of a FileRoute similar to an endpoint, it has:

  • Permitted types ["image", "video", etc]
  • Max file size
  • (Optional) middleware to authenticate and tag requests
  • onUploadComplete callback for when uploads are completed

To get full insight into what you can do with the FileRoutes, please refer to the File Router API.

app/server/uploadthing.ts

import { createUploadthing, UploadThingError } from "uploadthing/server";
import type { FileRouter } from "uploadthing/server";

const f = createUploadthing();

const auth = (req: Request) => ({ id: "fakeId" }); // Fake auth function

// FileRouter for your app, can contain multiple FileRoutes
export const uploadRouter = {
  // Define as many FileRoutes as you like, each with a unique routeSlug
  imageUploader: f({ image: { maxFileSize: "4MB" } })
    // Set permissions and file types for this FileRoute
    .middleware(async ({ req }) => {
      // This code runs on your server before upload
      const user = await auth(req);

      // If you throw, the user will not be able to upload
      if (!user) throw new UploadThingError("Unauthorized");

      // Whatever is returned here is accessible in onUploadComplete as `metadata`
      return { userId: user.id };
    })
    .onUploadComplete(async ({ metadata, file }) => {
      // This code RUNS ON YOUR SERVER after upload
      console.log("Upload complete for userId:", metadata.userId);

      console.log("file url", file.url);

      // !!! Whatever is returned here is sent to the clientside `onClientUploadComplete` callback
      return { uploadedBy: metadata.userId };
    }),
} satisfies FileRouter;

export type UploadRouter = typeof uploadRouter;

Create an API route using the FileRouter

app/routes/api/uploadthing.ts

import { createAPIFileRoute } from "@tanstack/start/api";

import { createRouteHandler } from "uploadthing/server";

import { uploadRouter } from "../../server/uploadthing";

const handlers = createRouteHandler({ router: uploadRouter });

export const Route = createAPIFileRoute("/api/uploadthing")({
  GET: handlers,
  POST: handlers,
});

See configuration options in server API reference

Create The UploadThing Components

We provide components to make uploading easier. We highly recommend re-exporting them with the types assigned, but you CAN import the components individually from @uploadthing/react instead.

app/utils/uploadthing.ts

import {
  generateReactHelpers,
  generateUploadButton,
  generateUploadDropzone,
} from "@uploadthing/react";

import type { UploadRouter } from "../server/uploadthing";

export const UploadButton = generateUploadButton<UploadRouter>();
export const UploadDropzone = generateUploadDropzone<UploadRouter>();
export const { useUploadThing } = generateReactHelpers<UploadRouter>();

Add UploadThing's Styles

Wrap your Tailwind config with the withUt helper. You can learn more about our Tailwind helper in the "Theming" page

import { withUt } from "uploadthing/tw";

export default withUt({
  // Your existing Tailwind config
  content: ["./src/**/*.{ts,tsx,mdx}"],
  ...
});

Mount A Button And Upload!

app/routes/index.tsx

import { createFileRoute } from "@tanstack/react-router";

import { UploadButton } from "../utils/uploadthing";

export const Route = createFileRoute("/")({
  component: Home,
});

function Home() {
  return <UploadButton endpoint="imageUploader" />;
}

🎉 You're Done!

Want to customize the components? Check out the "Theming" page

Want to make your own components? Check out our useUploadThing hook

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