# lazy.nvim — Modern Plugin Manager for Neovim

> A fast and feature-rich plugin manager for Neovim that handles lazy loading, lockfiles, profiling, and automatic builds with a clean Lua-based spec format.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# lazy.nvim — Modern Plugin Manager for Neovim

## Quick Use
```lua
-- Bootstrap in init.lua
local lazypath = vim.fn.stdpath("data") .. "/lazy/lazy.nvim"
if not vim.uv.fs_stat(lazypath) then
  vim.fn.system({"git", "clone", "--filter=blob:none",
    "https://github.com/folke/lazy.nvim.git", "--branch=stable", lazypath})
end
vim.opt.rtp:prepend(lazypath)
require("lazy").setup("plugins")
```

## Introduction
lazy.nvim is the standard plugin manager for modern Neovim configurations. It replaces older tools like packer.nvim with a declarative Lua spec format, automatic lazy loading based on events, commands, keymaps, and filetypes, and a built-in UI for managing and profiling plugins.

## What lazy.nvim Does
- Installs, updates, and removes Neovim plugins from Git repositories and local paths
- Lazy-loads plugins based on events, commands, keymaps, or filetypes automatically
- Generates and maintains a lockfile (lazy-lock.json) for reproducible setups
- Provides a built-in profiler showing startup time per plugin
- Supports automatic post-install build steps (make, cargo, npm, etc.)

## Architecture Overview
lazy.nvim stores plugins in a flat directory under stdpath("data")/lazy/. Each plugin spec is a Lua table declaring its source, dependencies, lazy-loading triggers, and configuration function. At startup, lazy.nvim reads the lockfile to verify versions, loads only the plugins whose triggers have fired, and defers the rest. The :Lazy UI provides a real-time view of plugin status, updates, and profiling data.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Bootstrap lazy.nvim with the snippet above in your init.lua
- Define plugin specs as Lua files in a plugins/ directory
- Run :Lazy sync to install, update, and clean plugins in one step
- Commit lazy-lock.json to version control for reproducible environments
- Requires Neovim 0.8+ and Git

## Key Features
- Automatic lazy loading reduces startup to only the plugins you need at launch
- Lockfile support pins exact commits for each plugin
- Built-in profiler identifies slow plugins with per-plugin timing
- Spec fragments let multiple files contribute to one plugin's configuration
- Concurrency during install and update operations for fast package management

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **packer.nvim** — predecessor using a compile step; lazy.nvim is faster and actively maintained
- **vim-plug** — Vimscript-based, simpler; lazy.nvim offers richer Lua-native lazy loading
- **dein.vim** — supports caching; lazy.nvim provides a more intuitive spec format and UI
- **mini.deps** — minimalist approach; lazy.nvim has more features like profiling and lockfiles
- **rocks.nvim** — uses luarocks for packaging; lazy.nvim manages Git-based plugin sources directly

## FAQ
**Q: How do I migrate from packer.nvim?**
A: Convert your use() calls to lazy.nvim spec tables. The format is similar but uses different keys (opts instead of config, event/cmd/keys for lazy loading).

**Q: Can I pin a plugin to a specific version?**
A: Yes. Set the version field in the spec (e.g., version = "^2") or commit the lockfile for exact pins.

**Q: How do I profile startup time?**
A: Run :Lazy profile to see a ranked list of plugins by load time.

**Q: Does lazy.nvim support local plugins?**
A: Yes. Set dir to the local path instead of specifying a Git URL.

## Sources
- https://github.com/folke/lazy.nvim
- https://lazy.folke.io/

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-ebd5fae6
Author: AI Open Source