The svg-chunk-webpack-plugin creates optimized SVG sprites, according to Webpack's entrypoints. Each sprite contains only the SVG dependencies listed on its entrypoints to improved code splitting, even on SVG files.

The plugin includes the popular SVGO package to generates clean and optimized SVG sprites.

Code splitting is the key to deliver files without any content that is unused by the pages. It already exists for CSS, Javascript and now for SVG files with this plugin.

On multiple page application, each pages must includes only its necessary dependencies. In other words, it must include only the SVG files imported by its entrypoint and all its dependencies.

With reusable components, SVGs are often duplicated on all the project. Now, you can create a global SVG library and every Javascript files can easily import any SVG from this library. Entrypoint dependencies are automatically updated, thanks to the Webpack compilation.

When you work with SVGs exported by design softwares, like Sketch or Illustrator, their source code is never optimized and often contains comments, CSS classes which can create conflicts between them. The plugin automatically cleans all SVGs before creating the sprite.

The plugin works without configuration with already the optimized settings. For advanced usage, see the section using configuration.

The plugin is available as a package with the name of svg-chunk-webpack-plugin on npm and Github.

npm install svg-chunk-webpack-plugin --save-dev

yarn add svg-chunk-webpack-plugin --dev

Warning svg-chunk-webpack-plugin@5 is ESM only.

Note Minimum supported Node.js version is 16.20.0 and Webpack >=5.10.3.

The project includes a minimalist example in the ./example directory. Run the npm run build:example command to execute the Webpack example and see the plugin's implementation in action.

The plugin will generate one SVG sprite for each entrypoints. Sprites are built in the output path directory with all the other assets. Each sprite filename is composed with its entrypoint name (in the example below, that would be home.svg).

First, let's add the loader and the plugin to the Webpack configuration.

Warning The loader and the plugin need to works together.

webpack.config.js

import SvgChunkWebpackPlugin from 'svg-chunk-webpack-plugin';

export default {
  module: {
    rules: [
      {
        test: /\.svg$/,
        use: [
          {
            loader: SvgChunkWebpackPlugin.loader
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  plugins: [new SvgChunkWebpackPlugin()]
};

Note

For more flexibility and better performance, inline SVG files are better. Fewer HTTP requests, CSS properties to change the style, no flickering during the page load.

Then, include the sprite in the wanted pages (we use Twig in the following example).

home.html.twig

{{ include 'home.svg' }}

Finally, use the SVG with the <use> tag, like the following example. Replace <svg_name> by the SVG name (without the extension).

home.html.twig

<svg>
  <use href="#<svg_name>"></use>
</svg>

The loader and the plugin accepts configuration to override the default behavior.

The loader configuration allow to personalize the SVGO configuration. SVGO optimization is executed during the loader process to optimize build performance.

Type:

type configFile = string | boolean;

Default: path.resolve(opts.root, 'svgo.config.js')

Tells the loader whether to load the custom SVGO configuration. Custom configuration can be disabled with configFile: false.

webpack.config.js

export default {
  module: {
    rules: [
      {
        test: /\.svg$/,
        loader: SvgChunkWebpackPlugin.loader,
        options: {
          configFile: './path/svgo.config.js'
        }
      }
    ]
  }
};

SVGO have a default preset to optimize SVG files. See how to configure svgo for details.

svgo.config.js

export default {
  multipass: true,
  plugins: [
    {
      name: 'preset-default',
      params: {
        overrides: {
          inlineStyles: {
            onlyMatchedOnce: false
          },
          removeViewBox: false
        }
      }
    },
    {
      name: 'convertStyleToAttrs'
    }
  ]
};

The plugin configuration allow to personalize sprite settings.

Type:

type filename = string;

Default: '[name].svg'

Tells the plugin whether to personalize the default sprite filename. The placeholder [name] is automatically replaced by entrypoints names.

webpack.config.js

export default {
  plugins: [
    new SvgChunkWebpackPlugin({
      filename: '[name].svg'
    })
  ]
};

Note The filename parameter is compatible with Webpack caching placeholders, see the section caching.

Type:

type svgstoreConfig = object;

Default: { cleanDefs: false, cleanSymbols: false, inline: true }

SVG sprites are built using the svgstore package. Update the parameters according to your needs from the options list available on the svgstore documentation.

webpack.config.js

export default {
  plugins: [
    new SvgChunkWebpackPlugin({
      svgstoreConfig: {
        svgAttrs: {
          'aria-hidden': true,
          style: 'position: absolute; width: 0; height: 0; overflow: hidden;'
        }
      }
    })
  ]
};

Note To avoid LinearGradient conflicts, avoid the display: none property which breaks SVG definitions.

Type:

type generateSpritesManifest = boolean;

Default: false

Tells the plugin whether to generate the sprites-manifest.json. The JSON file contains the list of all SVG included by entrypoints.

webpack.config.js

export default {
  plugins: [
    new SvgChunkWebpackPlugin({
      generateSpritesManifest: true
    })
  ]
};

Type:

type generateSpritesPreview = boolean;

Default: false

Tells the plugin whether to generate the sprites-preview.html. The HTML preview contains a display list of all SVG included by entrypoints with the SVG overviews and the names. See the sprites preview of the example.

webpack.config.js

export default {
  plugins: [
    new SvgChunkWebpackPlugin({
      generateSpritesPreview: true
    })
  ]
};

With webpack caching, several placeholders are available depending on your needs. With SVG inlined in the page, this option is not useful.

Note

The [contenthash] placeholder is the best option because it depends on the sprite content. Cache placeholders are expensive in build performance, use it only in production mode.

The [contenthash] placeholder will add a unique hash based on the content of the sprite. When the sprite's content changes, the hash will change as well.

webpack.config.js

export default {
  plugins: [
    new SvgChunkWebpackPlugin({
      filename: '[name].[contenthash].svg'
    })
  ]
};

The [fullhash] placeholder will add a unique hash generated for every build. When the compilation build is updated, the hash will change as well.

webpack.config.js

export default {
  plugins: [
    new SvgChunkWebpackPlugin({
      filename: '[name].[fullhash].svg'
    })
  ]
};

svg-chunk-webpack-plugin is licensed under the MIT License.

Created with ♥ by @yoriiis.