Learn how to add Vue.js interactivity to a Laravel Blade view in just three steps—mount a <div id="app">, import Vue from its CDN, and write your data bindings and methods with @{{ }} and @click—all without any asset compilation or build tools. This quick setup is perfect for small widgets, prototypes, or enhancing existing pages with reactive features.
Vue.js is a progressive, approachable JavaScript framework that excels at adding interactive, reactive behavior to your web pages. When you’re building a full-blown single-page application (SPA), you might integrate Vue through Laravel Mix or Vite and compile your assets. But sometimes you only need a pinch of Vue—perhaps to power a dynamic counter, a live search widget, or form validation—without the overhead of installing Node, configuring builds, and managing dependencies.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to harness Vue.js directly from a CDN inside a Laravel Blade view. You’ll end up with a fully interactive page—single-file, single-page—where Vue handles all of the client-side magic, and Laravel returns the Blade as usual. No asset compilation, no npm run dev, no Vite config. Just drop-and-play.
Why Use the CDN Approach?
- Speed of setup
You don’t need Node.js, NPM, or any build tooling. If you already have Laravel running, you can add Vue interactivity in minutes. - Reduced complexity
Ideal for small widgets and pages where a full SPA setup would be overkill. - Learning and prototyping
Great when you just want to experiment with Vue’s reactivity or demonstrate it to a team without a lengthy setup. - Progressive enhancement
You can start small and later migrate to a full build process if the feature grows in complexity.
Prerequisites
- A working Laravel application (v8, v9, v10 or v11)
- Familiarity with Blade templating
- Basic understanding of JavaScript and Vue.js concepts (data, methods, directives)
Step 1: Create Your Blade File & Mount Point
First, create a Blade view where you want your Vue code to live. In Laravel, Blade files typically reside in resources/views/.
Inside vue-demo.blade.php, add the minimal HTML structure and an element with an id that Vue will mount to.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Vue.js CDN in Laravel</title>
</head>
<body>
<!-- Vue will mount on this div -->
<div id="app">
<!-- Vue-powered reactive content will go here -->
</div>
<!-- Step 2: Include Vue.js CDN and initialization script -->
</body>
</html>Tip: The
idattribute (appabove) is arbitrary—you can name it anything. Just be consistent when you callmount().
Step 2: Include Vue.js via CDN & Initialize
Instead of installing Vue locally, you can pull it straight from a CDN. At the end of your Blade view (just before the closing </body> tag), insert:
<script type="module">
import { createApp } from 'https://unpkg.com/vue@3.5.13/dist/vue.esm-browser.prod.js';
// Create a new Vue application
createApp({
data() {
return {
count: 0, // our reactive data
};
},
methods: {
increment() {
// increment the counter
this.count++;
},
decrement() {
// decrement the counter
this.count--;
},
},
})
// Tell Vue to manage the #app element
.mount('#app');
</script>How it works:
import { createApp } …brings in Vue’s runtime+compiler build via ES Module.data()returns an object of reactive properties.methodsdefines functions that can alter the reactive state..mount('#app')bootstraps Vue on the<div id="app">element.
Step 3: Write Your Blade Markup with Vue Bindings
With your Vue instance ready, you can use Vue’s template syntax inside your Blade file. For example, to build a simple counter:
<div id="app">
<h1>Simple Counter</h1>
<!-- Display reactive count -->
<p>Current count: <strong>@{{ count }}</strong></p>
<!-- Buttons to call Vue methods -->
<button @click="increment"> + </button>
<button @click="decrement"> – </button>
</div>Note on Blade vs. Vue syntax:
Blade and Vue both use{{ }}for binding. To prevent Blade from interpreting Vue’s bindings, prefix with@(e.g.@{{ count }}).
Step 4: Returning the Blade View from a Controller
To serve this view without any special routes or asset pipelines, simply return it from a Laravel controller:
<?php
namespace App\Http\Controllers;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
class VueDemoController extends Controller
{
public function index()
{
// returns resources/views/vue-demo.blade.php
return view('vue-demo');
}
}And define a route in routes/web.php:
use App\Http\Controllers\VueDemoController;
Route::get('/vue-cdn-demo', [VueDemoController::class, 'index']);Now, when you navigate to /vue-cdn-demo, Laravel renders your Blade view, includes Vue via CDN, and your counter magically works—no build step needed!
Pros & Cons of the CDN Approach
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ⚡ Rapid setup, no build process | 🚧 Not ideal for large SPAs or complex component trees |
| 📦 Zero NPM dependencies | 🚧 Harder to manage multiple Vue components/modules |
| 🎓 Great for learning, demos, prototypes | 🚧 Performance could lag vs. compiled builds |
| 🔄 Easy to integrate into existing Blade layouts | 🚧 Lacks advanced tooling (linting, TypeScript support) |
Troubleshooting
@{{ }}not rendering? Ensure you’ve prefixed with@so Blade doesn’t swallow Vue bindings.- Console errors about module imports? Double-check the CDN URL and ensure your browser supports ES Modules.
- Reactivity not working? Make sure you’re modifying reactive state via
this.count++, not a standalonecount++.
Conclusion
By following these three simple steps—mounting Vue on a Blade element, importing Vue from a CDN, and writing your Blade markup with Vue directives—you can give any Laravel page a dose of interactivity without ever touching a build tool. This approach is perfect for small widgets, landing pages, or quick prototypes. As your needs grow, you can always migrate to a full Vue SPA setup with Laravel Mix or Vite.
Happy coding! 😊