withastro/astro · error · AstroError

LiveContentConfigError

LiveContentConfigError

Error message

Collections with type `live` must be defined in a `src/live.config.ts` file. Check your collection definitions in your live content config file.

What it means

defineCollection() exported from astro:content (the helper for src/content.config.ts) rejects configs with type: 'live'. Live collections use a separate config surface — src/live.config.ts with defineLiveCollection — because they require a loader, schema, and optional proxy setup rather than regular collection options, and Astro fails fast when the two are mixed.

Solutions

Move the live collection definition into src/live.config.ts.
Define it there with defineLiveCollection({ loader, schema }) instead of defineCollection.
Keep regular (non-live) collections in src/content.config.ts and import types from astro:content in that file.
Run astro sync (or restart the dev server) so the new config file is picked up.

Example fix

// before: src/content.config.ts
import { defineCollection } from 'astro:content';
export const collections = {
  docs: defineCollection({ type: 'live', loader, schema }),
};

// after: src/live.config.ts
import { defineLiveCollection } from 'astro:content';
export const collections = {
  docs: defineLiveCollection({ loader, schema }),
};

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

// Keep the two config surfaces separate: content.config.ts must not see type: 'live'
import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
const src = readFileSync('src/content.config.ts', 'utf8');
if (src.includes("type: 'live'") || src.includes('type: "live"')) {
  throw new Error('live collections belong in src/live.config.ts');
}

Prevention

Create src/live.config.ts as soon as you adopt live collections; keep the files purpose-built.
Import defineLiveCollection only in src/live.config.ts and defineCollection only in src/content.config.ts.
Run astro sync after adding collections to catch config-shape mistakes immediately.

When it happens

Trigger: Writing defineCollection({ type: 'live', ... }) inside src/content.config.ts; copying a live-collections documentation example into the wrong config file.

Common situations: Adopting live collections in Astro 5.x and pasting the example into content.config.ts out of habit; migrating a project incrementally and mixing both config styles in one file.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of withastro/astro@e294953aa8 (2026-08-18). Data as JSON: /api/errors/46c39a4ca5e1692c. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at packages/astro/src/content/runtime.ts:803

			});
	};
}

type PropagatedAssetsModule = {
	__astroPropagation: true;
	getMod: () => Promise<any>;
	collectedStyles: string[];
	collectedLinks: string[];
	collectedScripts: string[];
};

function isPropagatedAssetsModule(module: any): module is PropagatedAssetsModule {
	return typeof module === 'object' && module != null && '__astroPropagation' in module;
}

export function defineCollection(config: any) {
	if (config.type === 'live') {
		throw new AstroError({
			...AstroErrorData.LiveContentConfigError,
			message: AstroErrorData.LiveContentConfigError.message(
				'Collections with type `live` must be defined in a `src/live.config.ts` file.',
			),
		});
	}
	return defineCollectionOrig(config);
}

export function defineLiveCollection() {
	throw new AstroError({
		...AstroErrorData.LiveContentConfigError,
		message: AstroErrorData.LiveContentConfigError.message(
			'Live collections must be defined in a `src/live.config.ts` file.',
		),
	});
}

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