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Preparing your Nextjs app for deployment

Preparing Your Next.js App for Deployment

Next.js is an open-source development framework built on top of Node.js that allows for server-side rendering and generating static websites for React based web applications. It's a great tool for building highly scalable, high performance, and SEO friendly web applications.

In this tutorial, we will walk through the process of preparing a Next.js application for deployment. The process involves ensuring that your application is optimized, error-free, and ready to be served to users.

Step 1: Testing Your Application​

Before you deploy your application, you need to make sure that everything works as expected. 

npm run dev

This command will run your application in development mode. Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000 to view your application. Navigate through your application and carefully test every feature to make sure everything is working perfectly.

Step 2: Building Your Application​

Once you are sure that everything works, the next step is to build your application for production. 

npm run build

This command will create a .next folder in your project directory. This folder will contain the built version of your application that is optimized and ready for deployment.

Step 3: Testing the Production Build​

After building your application, it is a good idea to test the production build as well. 

npm run start

This command will start your application in production mode. Again, navigate to http://localhost:3000 in your browser to view your application.

Ensure that everything still works as expected.

Step 4: Preparing for Deployment​

Now that you have a working, built version of your application, you are ready to prepare for deployment. This typically involves transferring your application files to a server, but the specifics can vary depending on where you are deploying.

In general, you will need to:

  • Transfer the entire project directory to your server.
  • Install any necessary dependencies on the server.
  • Set up any necessary environment variables on the server.
  • Start your application on the server.

The specifics for these steps can vary greatly depending on your deployment target.

Conclusion​

Preparing a Next.js application for deployment involves testing, building, and transferring your application to a server. Remember to always test your application both before and after building to ensure that everything works as expected.

Happy coding!