Complete SvelteKit Tutorial: Build Production Apps from Scratch

I’ve noticed that many beginners feel overwhelmed when starting with modern web frameworks. SvelteKit, however, makes things much simpler than you might expect. From practical experience, it’s a framework that combines speed, simplicity, and SEO-friendly features, making it ideal for both small projects and production-ready apps.

If you’ve worked with React or Vue before, some concepts will feel familiar, but SvelteKit works a bit differently. Let’s break it down step by step so you can build apps from scratch with confidence.

What is SvelteKit?

From my experience, the easiest way to describe SvelteKit is as the “full-stack version” of Svelte. It handles routing, server-side rendering (SSR), and deployment in one package. Unlike frameworks that send lots of JavaScript to the browser, SvelteKit pre-renders most pages. This makes your apps faster and smoother, without extra work.

Beginners often struggle with this part—they treat SvelteKit just like Svelte. Remember, SvelteKit is more than a frontend library; it’s designed to handle the whole app.

Setting Up Your SvelteKit Project

Starting a project is easier than you think. First, make sure Node.js is installed. Then run these commands in your terminal:

npm create svelte@latest my-app
cd my-app
npm install
npm run dev

Open your browser at http://localhost:5173 and you’ll see your app running live. From practical experience, testing early helps avoid a lot of headaches later.

Folder Structure Overview

When you open a new SvelteKit project, you’ll see a few key folders:
- src/routes – Where all your pages live.
- src/lib – Reusable components and helper functions.
- static – Images, fonts, and other static assets.

Beginners often put components in the wrong place. I’ve noticed that keeping reusable components in lib saves a lot of confusion as your app grows.

Routing in SvelteKit

Routing in SvelteKit is really straightforward. Each .svelte file in src/routes automatically becomes a route.

Example:

src/routes/
  index.svelte     → /
  about.svelte     → /about
  blog/[id].svelte → /blog/1

Dynamic routes use square brackets [ ]. I’ve found this super handy for things like blog posts or product pages.

Tip: Always use lowercase for route filenames—trust me, it avoids weird case-sensitive issues in production.

Creating Pages and Components

Pages in SvelteKit are just .svelte files with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. For example:

<script>
  let name = 'Saqib';
</script>

<h1>Hello {name}!</h1>
<p>Welcome to your first SvelteKit page.</p>

Components can be reused across pages. I usually keep them in src/lib/components and import like this:

<script>
  import Header from '$lib/components/Header.svelte';
</script>

<Header />

Beginners often forget the $lib alias—it’s something SvelteKit sets up automatically, but it’s easy to overlook.

Server-Side Rendering and Data Fetching

SSR is where SvelteKit really shines. You can fetch data on the server before the page even loads.

Example using +page.server.js:

export const load = async ({ fetch }) => {
  const res = await fetch('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts');
  const posts = await res.json();
  return { posts };
};

And in +page.svelte:

<script>
  export let data;
</script>

{#each data.posts as post}
  <h2>{post.title}</h2>
  <p>{post.body}</p>
{/each}

From my experience, beginners often skip error handling here, which can break the app in production. Always wrap fetch calls in try-catch blocks.

Forms and Actions

One thing I’ve noticed is that beginners try to handle forms entirely with client-side JavaScript. In SvelteKit, server actions are simpler and safer.

Example +page.server.js:

export const actions = {
  default: async ({ request }) => {
    const formData = await request.formData();
    const name = formData.get('name');
    return { success: `Hello ${name}` };
  }
};

And +page.svelte:

<form method="POST">
  <input type="text" name="name" placeholder="Your name" />
  <button type="submit">Submit</button>
</form>

{#if data?.success}
  <p>{data.success}</p>
{/if}

Using server actions makes forms SEO-friendly and easier to maintain.

Deploying a SvelteKit App

Deploying is usually straightforward. You can use Vercel, Netlify, or traditional Node servers. For example, with Vercel:

npm run build
vercel

From practical experience, testing SSR pages locally before deployment saves a lot of stress.

Tip: If your app doesn’t need server-side features, consider adapter-static for faster, cheaper hosting.

SEO Best Practices

Even though SvelteKit is SEO-friendly out of the box, you still need to do some basics:
- Unique <title> and <meta> tags per page.
- Proper use of heading tags (<h1> for main headings).
- Clean, readable URLs.

Example:

<svelte:head>
  <title>My Blog | Home</title>
  <meta name="description" content="Learn SvelteKit from scratch and build production-ready apps." />
</svelte:head>

Common Mistakes Beginners Make

From my experience, here are mistakes I see often:
1. Mixing client and server code – SSR code must go in +page.server.js or +server.js.
2. Not using stores for shared state – Svelte stores are your friend.
3. Ignoring folder structure – Cluttered projects get messy fast.
4. Skipping error handling – Especially for fetch requests.

FAQs

1. Is SvelteKit beginner-friendly?
Yes, it’s easy to start with, especially if you know HTML, CSS, and JavaScript basics.

2. Can I build full-stack apps with SvelteKit?
Absolutely. You can handle routing, server actions, and data fetching all in one framework.

3. Do I need a backend?
Not always. You can fetch from APIs or use server actions. For more complex apps, Node.js integration works well.

4. How is SvelteKit different from Svelte?
Svelte is just a frontend library. SvelteKit adds routing, SSR, and deployment capabilities.

5. Can I use SvelteKit for static sites?
Yes. With adapter-static, you can pre-render pages and host them anywhere.

Conclusion

From practical experience, SvelteKit makes building production apps smoother and faster. Beginners often struggle with routing, server actions, or folder structure, but with a little practice, these become easy to manage. Focus on reusable components, test often, and gradually add more features. The framework scales nicely as your skills grow, and the results are always impressive—fast, SEO-friendly, and clean apps that just work.