# defineNuxtPlugin > defineNuxtPlugin() is a helper function for creating Nuxt plugins. `defineNuxtPlugin` is a helper function for creating Nuxt plugins with enhanced functionality and type safety. This utility normalizes different plugin formats into a consistent structure that works seamlessly within Nuxt's plugin system. ```ts [plugins/hello.ts]twoslash export default defineNuxtPlugin((nuxtApp) => { // Doing something with nuxtApp }) ``` ## Type ```ts [Signature] export function defineNuxtPlugin> (plugin: Plugin | ObjectPlugin): Plugin & ObjectPlugin type Plugin = (nuxt: NuxtApp) => Promise | Promise<{ provide?: T }> | void | { provide?: T } interface ObjectPlugin { name?: string enforce?: 'pre' | 'default' | 'post' dependsOn?: string[] order?: number parallel?: boolean setup?: Plugin hooks?: Partial env?: { islands?: boolean } } ``` ## Parameters **plugin**: A plugin can be defined in two ways: 1. **Function Plugin**: A function that receives the [`NuxtApp`](/docs/4.x/guide/going-further/internals#the-nuxtapp-interface) instance and can return a promise with a potential object with a [`provide`](/docs/4.x/directory-structure/app/plugins#providing-helpers) property if you want to provide a helper on [`NuxtApp`](/docs/4.x/guide/going-further/internals#the-nuxtapp-interface) instance. 2. **Object Plugin**: An object that can include various properties to configure the plugin's behavior, such as `name`, `enforce`, `dependsOn`, `order`, `parallel`, `setup`, `hooks`, and `env`.
Property Type Required Description
name string false Optional name for the plugin, useful for debugging and dependency management.
enforce 'pre' | 'default' | 'post' false Controls when the plugin runs relative to other plugins.
dependsOn string[] false Array of plugin names this plugin depends on. Ensures proper execution order.
order number false This allows more granular control over plugin order and should only be used by advanced users. It overrides the value of enforce and is used to sort plugins.
parallel boolean false Whether to execute the plugin in parallel with other parallel plugins.
setup Plugin < T > false The main plugin function, equivalent to a function plugin.
hooks Partial < RuntimeNuxtHooks > false Nuxt app runtime hooks to register directly.
env { islands ?: boolean } false Set this value to false if you don't want the plugin to run when rendering server-only or island components.
## Examples ### Basic Usage The example below demonstrates a simple plugin that adds global functionality: ```ts [plugins/hello.ts]twoslash export default defineNuxtPlugin((nuxtApp) => { // Add a global method return { provide: { hello: (name: string) => `Hello ${name}!`, }, } }) ``` ### Object Syntax Plugin The example below shows the object syntax with advanced configuration: ```ts [plugins/advanced.ts]twoslash export default defineNuxtPlugin({ name: 'my-plugin', enforce: 'pre', async setup (nuxtApp) { // Plugin setup logic const data = await $fetch('/api/config') return { provide: { config: data, }, } }, hooks: { 'app:created' () { console.log('App created!') }, }, }) ``` --- - [Source](https://github.com/nuxt/nuxt/blob/main/packages/nuxt/src/app/nuxt.ts)