Where does netlify.toml live?

It belongs at the root of your repository. Netlify reads it during every build and deploy, and settings in the file override what is configured in the Netlify dashboard.

What is the SPA fallback redirect?

A single-page app needs every unknown path served by index.html so client-side routing works. The rule from slash-star to slash index.html with status 200 rewrites all paths without changing the URL.

Does redirect order matter?

Yes. Netlify evaluates redirect rules top to bottom and applies the first match, so place specific rules before broad catch-alls like the SPA fallback to avoid shadowing them.

How do environment variables work here?

Variables under the build environment section are available to your build command. They are not exposed to the browser unless your bundler inlines them, so secrets stay server-side at build time.

What does status 200 versus 301 mean?

Status 200 performs a rewrite that keeps the URL while serving different content, used for SPA fallbacks and proxies. Status 301 or 302 issues a real redirect that changes the address in the browser.

netlify.toml Builder

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A correct netlify.toml without TOML guesswork

netlify.toml configures how Netlify builds and serves your site: the build command, the publish folder, redirects, headers, and functions. TOML tables and array-of-tables syntax are easy to mistype, and a malformed file silently reverts to defaults. This builder produces valid TOML from plain inputs.

How it works

The file uses TOML tables. A [build] table holds the command and publish directory, with [build.environment] for build-time variables. Redirects use the [[redirects]] array-of-tables form, each with from, to, and status; the order is preserved because Netlify applies the first matching rule. Headers use [[headers]] with a for path pattern and a [headers.values] sub-table of header names and values. A [functions] table sets the directory Netlify deploys as serverless functions. The builder escapes string values and quotes keys where TOML requires it.

Tips and example

For a single-page app, set the publish directory to dist, then add the SPA fallback redirect from = "/*", to = "/index.html", status = 200 as the last rule. Add security headers like X-Frame-Options = "DENY" under a for = "/*" block. Put serverless functions in netlify/functions and set the functions directory accordingly. Commit the file and Netlify applies it on the next deploy.