What are targetDefaults in nx.json?

targetDefaults set shared configuration for a target name across all projects, so you define build once instead of in every project.json. Each project still overrides or extends these defaults as needed.

What is a named input?

A named input is a reusable set of file globs that feed Nx's computation hash. The default input covers all project files, while production excludes test files so changing a spec does not bust the build cache.

How does Nx caching decide to skip work?

Nx hashes a target's inputs, command, and dependencies. If a matching hash already exists in the local or remote cache, Nx restores the cached outputs instead of re-running the task, which is why outputs must be declared accurately.

When do I need tasksRunnerOptions?

Modern Nx infers cacheable operations from the cache flag in targetDefaults, so plain configs do not need tasksRunnerOptions. Enable the explicit form if you maintain an older workspace or wire a custom or remote task runner that lists cacheableOperations directly.

What does the ^ in dependsOn mean for Nx?

A caret like ^build tells Nx to run the build target of a project's dependencies before the project itself, building the dependency graph bottom-up. Without the caret the dependency refers to another target on the same project.

nx.json Config Builder

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Configure an Nx workspace

Nx is a build system for monorepos that adds computation caching, dependency-graph-aware task ordering, and code generation. The root nx.json controls all of it — which targets are cacheable, how tasks order themselves, and which file changes invalidate cached results. This builder produces a correct, modern nx.json.

How it works

targetDefaults holds shared settings keyed by target name (build, test, lint). For each one you set dependsOn for ordering, inputs to control the cache hash, outputs to tell Nx which files to cache, and cache: true to make the target cacheable. The ^build caret means a project’s dependencies build first, mirroring the project graph.

namedInputs defines reusable globs. The default input covers every project file plus shared globals; the production input extends default but excludes test files, so editing a spec invalidates test but not build. These named sets keep cache invalidation precise.

Parallelism is set with the parallel field, or inside tasksRunnerOptions if you opt into the explicit runner form. Recent Nx versions infer cacheable operations directly from the cache flag, so the simpler top-level form is preferred.

Tips and notes

Declare outputs accurately — a wrong path means cache hits restore nothing.
Use the production named input for build to avoid test files busting the cache.
Keep parallel near your CPU core count for best throughput.
The explicit tasksRunnerOptions form is only needed for legacy or custom runners.