where is create-react-app webpack config and files?

Question

I create a ReactJS project with the create-react-app package and that worked well, but I cannot find webpack files and configurations.

How does react-create-app work with webpack? Where are the webpack configuration files located in a default installation with create-react-app? I'm unable to find configuration files in my project's folders.

I have not created an override config file. I can manage config settings with other articles but I want to find the conventional config file(s).

Answer 1

If you want to find webpack files and configurations go to your package.json file and look for scripts

You will find that scripts object is using a library react-scripts

Now go to node_modules and look for react-scripts folder react-script-in-node-modules

This react-scripts/scripts and react-scripts/config folder contains all the webpack configurations.

Answer 2

The files are located in your node_modules/react-scripts folder:

Webpack config:

https://github.com/facebook/create-react-app/blob/master/packages/react-scripts/config/webpack.config.js

Start Script:

https://github.com/facebook/create-react-app/blob/master/packages/react-scripts/scripts/start.js

Build Script:

https://github.com/facebook/create-react-app/blob/master/packages/react-scripts/scripts/build.js

Test Script:

https://github.com/facebook/create-react-app/blob/master/packages/react-scripts/scripts/test.js

and so on ...

Now, the purpose of CRA is not to worry about these.

From the documentation:

You don’t need to install or configure tools like Webpack or Babel. They are preconfigured and hidden so that you can focus on the code.

If you want to have access to the config files, you need to eject by running:

npm run eject

Note: this is a one-way operation. Once you eject, you can’t go back!

In most scenarios, it is best not to eject and try to find a way to make it work for you in another way.

If you need to override some of the config options, you can have a look at https://github.com/gsoft-inc/craco

Answer 3

A lot of people come to this page with the goal of finding the webpack config and files in order to add their own configuration to them. Another way to achieve this without running npm run eject is to use react-app-rewired. This allows you to overwrite your webpack config file without ejecting.

Answer 4

Assuming you don't want to eject and you just want to look at the config you will find them in /node_modules/react-scripts/config

webpack.config.dev.js. //used by `npm start`
webpack.config.prod.js //used by `npm run build`

Answer 5

Webpack config used by create-react-app is here: https://github.com/facebook/create-react-app/tree/master/packages/react-scripts/config

Answer 6

You can find it inside the /config folder.

When you eject you get a message like:

 Adding /config/webpack.config.dev.js to the project
 Adding /config/webpack.config.prod.js to the project

Answer 7

Webpack configuration is being handled by react-scripts. You can find all webpack config inside node_modules react-scripts/config.

And If you want to customize webpack config, you can follow this customize-webpack-config

Answer 8

Try ejecting the config files, by running:

npm run eject

then you'll find a config folder created in your project. You will find your webpack config files init.

Answer 9

Ejecting is not the best option as well as editing something under node_modules. react-app-rewired is not maintained and has the warning:

...you now "own" the configs. No support will be provided. Proceed with caution...

Solution - use craco.

Answer 10

I know it's pretty late, but for future people stumbling upon this issue, if you want to have access to the webpack config of CRA, there's no other way except you have to run:

$ npm run eject

However, with ejection, you'll strip away yourself from CRA pipeline of updates, therefore from the point of ejection, you have to maintain it yourself.

I have come across this issue many times, and therefore I've created a template for react apps which have most of the same config as CRA, but also additional perks (like styled-components, jest unit test, Travis ci for deployments, prettier, ESLint, etc...) to make the maintenance easier. Check out the repo.