Spring Boot not serving static content

How to Solve the Issue of Spring Boot Not Serving Static Content

So, you've built your Spring Boot project, added some static content, but when you run the app, it's not serving the static files properly. Frustrating, right? But fret not, because we've got you covered! In this blog post, we'll address the common issues related to Spring Boot not serving static content and provide you with easy solutions. Let's dive in! 💻🌈

Issue: Spring Boot can't find the static files

You've done everything right - placed the static folder under src/main/resources, added an images folder inside it, and even verified that the files are present inside the jar. But for some reason, when you try accessing the static files through the browser, you encounter a 404 error. What could be the problem? 🤔

Solution: Check the Resource Handler Configuration

By default, Spring Boot auto-configures certain resource handlers, but in some cases, you might need to provide additional configuration. Here's what you can do:

1. Open up your application.properties file (if you're using YAML, it will be application.yml).

2. Add the following configuration to specify the resource handler for static content:

spring.resources.static-locations=classpath:/static/

1. Make sure that the static folder is located under src/main/resources.

That's it! Now, run your Spring Boot app again and try accessing the static content. It should work like a charm! 🎉

Issue: Different Resource Handler Configuration in Older Versions

The original question mentions using Spring Boot version 1.1.4. In older versions of Spring Boot, there can be slight differences in the resource handler configuration. So, if you're using an older version, you might encounter issues even after following the previous solution.

Solution: Explicitly Configure the Resource Handler

To overcome this issue, you need to explicitly configure the resource handler in your code. Here's how:

1. In your Java-based Spring Configuration class (e.g., Application.java), add the following code snippet:

@Configuration
public class Application extends WebMvcConfigurerAdapter {
    @Override
    public void addResourceHandlers(ResourceHandlerRegistry registry) {
        registry.addResourceHandler("/static/**")
                .addResourceLocations("classpath:/static/");
    }
}

1. Make sure that the static folder is located under src/main/resources.

With this explicit configuration, your older version of Spring Boot should now serve the static content without any issues. 🚀

Conclusion

We hope this guide has helped you resolve the problem of Spring Boot not serving static content. By following the provided solutions, you should be able to get your static files up and running smoothly. If you have any further questions or issues, feel free to leave a comment below. Happy coding! 🎉💻

PS: Have you faced any issues with Spring Boot static content serving? How did you solve them? Share your experiences in the comments below! Let's learn and help each other out.