Remote Manifest

Remote Manifest Overview

Remote Manifest is a building block you will reach for often in Module Federation. It keeps related logic together and makes your intent obvious to reviewers and future maintainers.

When you learn remote manifest properly, you avoid the guesswork that leads to bugs and rework. The example below shows the shape you will use in most real Module Federation projects.

// remote (webpack.config.js)
const { ModuleFederationPlugin } = require('webpack').container;

module.exports = {
  plugins: [
    new ModuleFederationPlugin({
      name: 'catalog',
      filename: 'remoteEntry.js',
      exposes: {
        './ProductList': './src/ProductList',
      },
      shared: ['react', 'react-dom'],
    }),
  ],
};

A remote exposes modules through remoteEntry.js so hosts can load them at runtime.

Remote Manifest Example

new ModuleFederationPlugin({
  name: 'app',
  filename: 'remoteEntry.js',
  exposes: { './Widget': './src/Widget' },
  remotes: { other: 'other@http://host/remoteEntry.js' },
  shared: { react: { singleton: true } },
});

• Start from a minimal Remote Manifest example and grow it only as needed.
• Keep configuration explicit so Remote Manifest behaves the same in every environment.
• Name things clearly so teammates understand your Remote Manifest at a glance.
• Add tests around Remote Manifest early to lock in expected behaviour.

Module Federation Cheatsheet

Key Module Federation settings related to remote manifest.

How Remote Manifest Works in Module Federation

Remote Manifest builds on Module Federation's ability to load code from another independently built and deployed application at runtime. Each app can be a host, a remote, or both.

A remote exposes modules through remoteEntry.js so hosts can load them at runtime.

• Remotes expose modules through a remoteEntry.js manifest.
• Hosts declare remotes and import exposed modules dynamically.
• Shared dependencies are deduplicated, ideally as singletons.
• Each micro frontend builds and deploys on its own schedule.

Practical Guidance for Remote Manifest

In production, remote manifest needs careful version management and graceful failure handling. Align shared dependency versions and always render a fallback when a remote cannot load.

Common Mistakes

• Skipping error handling and edge cases when wiring up remote manifest.
• Leaving remote manifest untested, so regressions slip into production.
• Over-engineering remote manifest before you actually need the extra flexibility.
• Ignoring documentation, which makes remote manifest hard for the next developer to change.

Key Takeaways

• Remote Manifest is a core part of working effectively with Module Federation.
• Start small and keep remote manifest focused on a single responsibility.
• Apply consistent patterns so remote manifest scales across your project.
• Test and document remote manifest to keep it maintainable over time.