# Auto imports

Nuxt auto-imports helper functions, composables and Vue APIs to use across your application without explicitly importing them. Based on the directory structure, every Nuxt application can also use auto-imports for its own components, composables and plugins. These functions can be used in components, composables or plugins.

Contrary to a classic global declaration, Nuxt preserves typings and IDEs completions and hints, and only includes what is actually used in your production code.

::alert{type=info}
💡 In the documentation, every function that is not explicitly imported is auto-imported by Nuxt and can be used as-is in your code.
::

::alert{type=info}
🚧  We are working on a proper API reference that will include every Nuxt auto-imports. For now, you can find a reference on the framework repository: [github.com/nuxt/framework/blob/main/packages/nuxt3/src/auto-imports/imports.ts](https://github.com/nuxt/framework/blob/main/packages/nuxt3/src/auto-imports/imports.ts)  
::

::alert{type=warning}
Auto imports don't currently work within the [server directory](/docs/directory-structure/server).
::

## Nuxt auto-imports

Nuxt auto-imports functions and composables to perform [data fetching](/docs/usage/data-fetching), get access to the [app context](/docs/usage/nuxt-app) and [runtime config](/docs/usage/runtime-config), manage [state](/docs/usage/state) or define components and plugins.

```vue
<script setup>
  /* useAsyncData() and $fetch() are auto-imported */
  const { data, refresh, pending } = await useAsyncData('/api/hello', () => $fetch('/api/hello'))
</script>
```

## Vue auto-imports

Vue 3 exposes Reactivity APIs like `ref` or `computed`, as well as lifecycle hooks and helpers that are auto-imported by Nuxt.

```vue
<script setup>
  /* ref() and computed() are auto-imported */
  const count = ref(1)
  const double = computed(() => count.value * 2)
</script>
```

## Directory based auto-imports

Nuxt directly auto-imports files created in defined directories:

- `components/` for [Vue components](/docs/directory-structure/components).
- `composables/` for [Vue composables](/docs/directory-structure/composables).

## Explicit imports

Every Nuxt auto-import is exposed by the `#imports` alias that can be used to make the import explicit if needed:

```vue
<script setup>
  import { ref, computed } from '#imports'

  const count = ref(1)
  const double = computed(() => count.value * 2)
</script>
```