Configure an MFE in DataHub

Walks through registering a Micro Frontend app with the DataHub frontend so it loads at /mfe/<path> and optionally appears in the navigation sidebar. Covers local development, production/k8s deployment, and troubleshooting.

Step 1: Gather Information

Use the AskQuestion tool to collect the following in a single call.

If env_target is Local development, ask one follow-up question using AskQuestion before proceeding:

For the N/A - I'll fill it in later fields (mf_name, mfe_path, remote_entry_url, display_label), do NOT invent or suggest values from the workspace. The user will type their own.

Finding the MFE app name: Open the MFE's webpack.config.js and look for the ModuleFederationPlugin block. The name property is what goes here:

new ModuleFederationPlugin({ name: 'teamDashboardMFE', ... })
//                                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  ← this value

If the name in the YAML config doesn't match this exactly, the MFE will fail to load. If you used the datahub-mfe-create-app skill, the name was printed in the summary as "Module Federation name".

Step 2: Generate the YAML Config Entry

Build the config entry from the gathered values:

- id: __MFE_ID__
  label: __DISPLAY_LABEL__
  path: __MFE_PATH__
  remoteEntry: __REMOTE_ENTRY_URL__
  module: __MF_NAME__/mount
  flags:
    enabled: true
    showInNav: __SHOW_IN_NAV__
  navIcon: __NAV_ICON__

Where __MFE_ID__ is derived from the path (strip leading /, replace / with -), e.g. path /dashboard becomes id dashboard.

Step 3: Apply the Configuration

Local Development — Docker / datahub-dev.sh (standard)

The Docker image has MFE_CONFIG_FILE_PATH baked in at build time pointing to /datahub-frontend/conf/mfe.config.dev.yaml (set in docker/datahub-frontend/Dockerfile). This is the file to edit for any Docker-based workflow.

1. Read the current datahub-frontend/conf/mfe.config.dev.yaml.
2. Append the new entry under microFrontends:. If the file is empty, use:

subNavigationMode: false
microFrontends:
  - id: ...
    ...

1. Rebuild the frontend container so the updated file is baked into the image:

scripts/dev/datahub-dev.sh rebuild --wait

Local Development — Play server directly (sbt / IntelliJ)

datahub-frontend/run/frontend.env points MFE_CONFIG_FILE_PATH to ../conf/mfe.config.local.yaml. Edit that file instead.

1. Read the current datahub-frontend/conf/mfe.config.local.yaml.
2. Append the new entry under microFrontends:.
3. Restart the Play server — no rebuild needed, the file is read from disk:

cd datahub-frontend/run && ./run-local-frontend

Production / Kubernetes

Tell the user:

Since you selected Production / Kubernetes, I won't edit any local config files — instead here's what you need.

1. Show the user the complete YAML config to add to their production config file (which may live in a separate config repo).

2. Explain the env var and volume mount setup. See reference.md for the full k8s ConfigMap pattern.

3. Remind the user about MFE_PUBLIC_PATH:

When deploying your MFE to a CDN or static host, set the MFE_PUBLIC_PATH env var during the MFE's production build so webpack knows the correct public URL for chunk loading.

MFE_PUBLIC_PATH=https://cdn.example.com/my-mfe/ npm run build

Step 4: Verify

Guide the user through these checks:

1. Standalone check: Open __REMOTE_ENTRY_URL__ in a browser — should return JavaScript content (not 404 or HTML).

2. Integration check: Navigate to http://localhost:9002/mfe__MFE_PATH__ (local) or the equivalent production URL. The MFE should render inside the DataHub chrome.

3. Nav check (if showInNav: true): The sidebar should show the __DISPLAY_LABEL__ item with the chosen icon. Click it to navigate.

If any check fails, see the Troubleshooting section in reference.md.

Step 5: Summary

Provide the user with a summary. Show only the config file relevant to their env_target — do not mention local config files if they selected Production.

If local development:

MFE registered in DataHub:
  Path:            /mfe__MFE_PATH__
  Remote entry:    __REMOTE_ENTRY_URL__
  Module:          __MF_NAME__/mount
  Nav sidebar:     __SHOW_IN_NAV__ (icon: __NAV_ICON__)
  Config file:     datahub-frontend/conf/mfe.config.dev.yaml    (Docker / datahub-dev.sh)
                   datahub-frontend/conf/mfe.config.local.yaml  (Play server / IntelliJ)

If Production / Kubernetes:

MFE registered in DataHub:
  Path:            /mfe__MFE_PATH__
  Remote entry:    __REMOTE_ENTRY_URL__
  Module:          __MF_NAME__/mount
  Nav sidebar:     __SHOW_IN_NAV__ (icon: __NAV_ICON__)
  Config file:     <your production config file>