Configuration Gotchas

Common mistakes and how to fix them.

#1 Root Scripts Not Using turbo run

Root package.json scripts for turbo tasks MUST use turbo run, not direct commands.

// WRONG - bypasses turbo, no parallelization or caching
{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "bun build",
    "dev": "bun dev"
  }
}

// CORRECT - delegates to turbo
{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "turbo run build",
    "dev": "turbo run dev"
  }
}

Why this matters: Running bun build or npm run build at root bypasses Turborepo entirely - no parallelization, no caching, no dependency graph awareness.

#2 Using && to Chain Turbo Tasks

Don't use && to chain tasks that turbo should orchestrate.

// WRONG - changeset:publish chains turbo task with non-turbo command
{
  "scripts": {
    "changeset:publish": "bun build && changeset publish"
  }
}

// CORRECT - use turbo run, let turbo handle dependencies
{
  "scripts": {
    "changeset:publish": "turbo run build && changeset publish"
  }
}

If the second command (changeset publish) depends on build outputs, the turbo task should run through turbo to get caching and parallelization benefits.

#3 Overly Broad globalDependencies

globalDependencies affects hash for ALL tasks in ALL packages. Be specific.

// WRONG - affects all hashes
{
  "globalDependencies": ["**/.env.*local"]
}

// CORRECT - move to specific tasks that need it
{
  "globalDependencies": [".env"],
  "tasks": {
    "build": {
      "inputs": ["$TURBO_DEFAULT$", ".env*"],
      "outputs": ["dist/**"]
    }
  }
}

Why this matters: **/.env.*local matches .env files in ALL packages, causing unnecessary cache invalidation. Instead:

• Use globalDependencies only for truly global files (root .env)
• Use task-level inputs for package-specific .env files with $TURBO_DEFAULT$ to preserve default behavior

With futureFlags.globalConfiguration, this is less of a concern because global.inputs acts as implicit task inputs — tasks can opt out of specific files with negation globs. But keeping the list focused is still good practice.

#4 Repetitive Task Configuration

Look for repeated configuration across tasks that can be collapsed.

// WRONG - repetitive env and inputs across tasks
{
  "tasks": {
    "build": {
      "env": ["API_URL", "DATABASE_URL"],
      "inputs": ["$TURBO_DEFAULT$", ".env*"]
    },
    "test": {
      "env": ["API_URL", "DATABASE_URL"],
      "inputs": ["$TURBO_DEFAULT$", ".env*"]
    }
  }
}

// BETTER - use globalEnv and globalDependencies
{
  "globalEnv": ["API_URL", "DATABASE_URL"],
  "globalDependencies": [".env*"],
  "tasks": {
    "build": {},
    "test": {}
  }
}

When to use global vs task-level:

• globalEnv / globalDependencies - affects ALL tasks, use for truly shared config
• Task-level env / inputs - use when only specific tasks need it

#5 Using ../ to Traverse Out of Package in inputs

Don't use relative paths like ../ to reference files outside the package. Use $TURBO_ROOT$ instead.

// WRONG - traversing out of package
{
  "tasks": {
    "build": {
      "inputs": ["$TURBO_DEFAULT$", "../shared-config.json"]
    }
  }
}

// CORRECT - use $TURBO_ROOT$ for repo root
{
  "tasks": {
    "build": {
      "inputs": ["$TURBO_DEFAULT$", "$TURBO_ROOT$/shared-config.json"]
    }
  }
}

#6 MOST COMMON MISTAKE: Creating Root Tasks

DO NOT create Root Tasks. ALWAYS create package tasks.

When you need to create a task (build, lint, test, typecheck, etc.):

1. Add the script to each relevant package's package.json
2. Register the task in root turbo.json
3. Root package.json only contains turbo run <task>

// WRONG - DO NOT DO THIS
// Root package.json with task logic
{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "cd apps/web && next build && cd ../api && tsc",
    "lint": "eslint apps/ packages/",
    "test": "vitest"
  }
}

// CORRECT - DO THIS
// apps/web/package.json
{ "scripts": { "build": "next build", "lint": "eslint .", "test": "vitest" } }

// apps/api/package.json
{ "scripts": { "build": "tsc", "lint": "eslint .", "test": "vitest" } }

// packages/ui/package.json
{ "scripts": { "build": "tsc", "lint": "eslint .", "test": "vitest" } }

// Root package.json - ONLY delegates
{ "scripts": { "build": "turbo run build", "lint": "turbo run lint", "test": "turbo run test" } }

// turbo.json - register tasks
{
  "tasks": {
    "build": { "dependsOn": ["^build"], "outputs": ["dist/**"] },
    "lint": {},
    "test": {}
  }
}

Why this matters:

• Package tasks run in parallel across all packages
• Each package's output is cached individually
• You can filter to specific packages: turbo run test --filter=web

Root Tasks (//#taskname) defeat all these benefits. Only use them for tasks that truly cannot exist in any package (extremely rare).

#7 Tasks That Need Parallel Execution + Cache Invalidation

Some tasks can run in parallel (don't need built output from dependencies) but must still invalidate cache when dependency source code changes. Using dependsOn: ["^taskname"] forces sequential execution. Using no dependencies breaks cache invalidation.

Use Transit Nodes for these tasks:

// WRONG - forces sequential execution (SLOW)
"my-task": {
  "dependsOn": ["^my-task"]
}

// ALSO WRONG - no dependency awareness (INCORRECT CACHING)
"my-task": {}

// CORRECT - use Transit Nodes for parallel + correct caching
{
  "tasks": {
    "transit": { "dependsOn": ["^transit"] },
    "my-task": { "dependsOn": ["transit"] }
  }
}

Why Transit Nodes work:

• transit creates dependency relationships without matching any actual script
• Tasks that depend on transit gain dependency awareness
• Since transit completes instantly (no script), tasks run in parallel
• Cache correctly invalidates when dependency source code changes

How to identify tasks that need this pattern: Look for tasks that read source files from dependencies but don't need their build outputs.

Missing outputs for File-Producing Tasks

Before flagging missing outputs, check what the task actually produces:

1. Read the package's script (e.g., "build": "tsc", "test": "vitest")
2. Determine if it writes files to disk or only outputs to stdout
3. Only flag if the task produces files that should be cached

// WRONG - build produces files but they're not cached
"build": {
  "dependsOn": ["^build"]
}

// CORRECT - outputs are cached
"build": {
  "dependsOn": ["^build"],
  "outputs": ["dist/**"]
}

No outputs key is fine for stdout-only tasks. For file-producing tasks, missing outputs means Turbo has nothing to cache.

Forgetting ^ in dependsOn

// WRONG - looks for "build" in SAME package (infinite loop or missing)
"build": {
  "dependsOn": ["build"]
}

// CORRECT - runs dependencies' build first
"build": {
  "dependsOn": ["^build"]
}

The ^ means "in dependency packages", not "in this package".

Missing persistent on Dev Tasks

// WRONG - dependent tasks hang waiting for dev to "finish"
"dev": {
  "cache": false
}

// CORRECT
"dev": {
  "cache": false,
  "persistent": true
}

Package Config Missing extends

// WRONG - packages/web/turbo.json
{
  "tasks": {
    "build": { "outputs": [".next/**"] }
  }
}

// CORRECT
{
  "extends": ["//"],
  "tasks": {
    "build": { "outputs": [".next/**"] }
  }
}

Without "extends": ["//"], Package Configurations are invalid.

Root Tasks Need Special Syntax

To run a task defined only in root package.json:

# WRONG
turbo run format

# CORRECT
turbo run //#format

And in dependsOn:

"build": {
  "dependsOn": ["//#codegen"]  // Root package's codegen
}

Overwriting Default Inputs

// WRONG - only watches test files, ignores source changes
"test": {
  "inputs": ["tests/**"]
}

// CORRECT - extends defaults, adds test files
"test": {
  "inputs": ["$TURBO_DEFAULT$", "tests/**"]
}

Without $TURBO_DEFAULT$, you replace all default file watching.

Excluding global.inputs Without $TURBO_DEFAULT$

When using futureFlags.globalConfiguration, global.inputs values are prepended to every task's inputs. If you want to exclude a global input from a specific task, you must include $TURBO_DEFAULT$ to preserve default file hashing.

// WRONG - task hashes NO files at all (global input cancelled, no defaults)
"build": {
  "inputs": ["!$TURBO_ROOT$/config.txt"]
}

// CORRECT - task hashes all package files, minus config.txt
"build": {
  "inputs": ["$TURBO_DEFAULT$", "!$TURBO_ROOT$/config.txt"]
}

Without $TURBO_DEFAULT$, the only inclusion glob comes from global.inputs, which the negation cancels out. The task ends up with no inclusions and no default file hashing, so it hashes nothing. Changes to source files won't cause cache misses.

Caching Tasks with Side Effects

// WRONG - deploy might be skipped on cache hit
"deploy": {
  "dependsOn": ["build"]
}

// CORRECT
"deploy": {
  "dependsOn": ["build"],
  "cache": false
}

Always disable cache for deploy, publish, or mutation tasks.