vuejs/vue-cli · error · Error

Error loading ${fileConfigPath}: should export an object or

Error message

Error loading ${fileConfigPath}: should export an object or a function that returns object.

What it means

resolveUserConfig loads vue.config.js. Its export must be a plain object, or a function that returns one (functions are called and the result re-checked). After that, the value must be a non-null object; a string, number, array, boolean, or a function returning null/undefined is rejected.

Source

Thrown at packages/@vue/cli-service/lib/util/resolveUserConfig.js:30

function removeSlash (config, key) {
  if (typeof config[key] === 'string') {
    config[key] = config[key].replace(/\/$/g, '')
  }
}

module.exports = function resolveUserConfig ({
  inlineOptions,
  pkgConfig,
  fileConfig,
  fileConfigPath
}) {
  if (fileConfig) {
    if (typeof fileConfig === 'function') {
      fileConfig = fileConfig()
    }

    if (!fileConfig || typeof fileConfig !== 'object') {
      throw new Error(
        `Error loading ${chalk.bold(fileConfigPath)}: ` +
        `should export an object or a function that returns object.`
      )
    }
  }

  // package.vue
  if (pkgConfig && typeof pkgConfig !== 'object') {
    throw new Error(
      `Error loading Vue CLI config in ${chalk.bold(`package.json`)}: ` +
      `the "vue" field should be an object.`
    )
  }

  let resolved, resolvedFrom
  if (fileConfig) {
    const configFileName = path.basename(fileConfigPath)
    if (pkgConfig) {

View on GitHub (pinned to 7eb93c169c)

Solutions

1. Export an object: `module.exports = { ... }`.
2. If using a function, ensure every path returns a non-null object: `module.exports = () => ({ ... })`.

Example fix

// vue.config.js — before
module.exports = () => { configureWebpack: {} }
// after
module.exports = () => ({ configureWebpack: {} })

const cfg = require('./vue.config.js')
const resolved = typeof cfg === 'function' ? cfg() : cfg
if (!resolved || typeof resolved !== 'object' || Array.isArray(resolved)) {
  throw new Error('vue.config.js must export an object or a function returning an object')
}

const isVueConfig = (c) => typeof c === 'function' || (typeof c === 'object' && c !== null && !Array.isArray(c))

When it happens

Trigger: vue.config.js exporting a primitive (`module.exports = '...'`), an array, or a function that returns null/undefined/a non-object.

Common situations: Missing/wrong default export; a function config with a code path that returns undefined; accidentally exporting a config builder without calling it.

Related errors

• transpileDependencies only accepts an array of string or reg
• Invalid type for option 'vuePlugins.service', expected 'arra
• Error loading Vue CLI config in package.json: the "vue" fiel
• Cannot find polyfill ${item}, please refer to 'core-js-compa
• ${workboxPluginMode} is not a supported Workbox webpack plug

AI-assisted analysis of vuejs/vue-cli@7eb93c169c (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/76be357a11d7bd4e. Report an issue: GitHub.