Improving Next.js Performance and Reliability is crucial for any developer. Next.js is a popular React-based framework for building server-side rendered (SSR) and statically generated websites and applications.
To optimize performance, Next.js provides built-in support for code splitting, which allows developers to split their code into smaller chunks, reducing the initial payload size and improving page load times. This feature is especially useful for large applications with many features.
By utilizing code splitting, developers can improve the user experience and reduce the risk of performance-related issues. In fact, code splitting can reduce the initial payload size by up to 70% in some cases.
Next.js Configuration
To effectively instrument a Next.js application with New Relic, you need to modify the next.config.js file. This file ensures that the modules supported by New Relic are not mangled by webpack, and it externalizes those modules.
You'll need to create or update the next.config.js file in your project root with the following content. The next step is to modify your dev and start npm scripts by amending the scripts section of package.json file.
Adding the newrelic.jsAMP agent configuration file to the root directory of your project is also required. Use NEW_RELIC_APP_NAME and NEW_RELIC_LICENSE_KEY in your .env file, as shown in an example .env file for your application.
Configuration
To effectively instrument a Next.js application with New Relic, you need to modify the next.config.js file. This configuration ensures that the modules supported by New Relic are not mangled by webpack.
You'll need to create or update the next.config.js file in your project root with the following content. This will externalize the modules supported by New Relic.
Modify your dev and start npm scripts by amending the scripts section of package.json file. This allows your application to run with Node’s -r option, which will preload @newrelic/next middleware.
Before you run your application, add the newrelic.jsAMP agent configuration file to the root directory of your project. For this, see an example config file for your Next.js app.
Use NEW_RELIC_APP_NAME and NEW_RELIC_LICENSE_KEY in your .env file as shown in an example .env file for your application.
Optimizing Package Bundling
Optimizing package bundling in Next.js can be a breeze with the right configuration. Next.js 15 introduces a new bundlePagesRouterDependencies config option.
This option automatically bundles external packages in the Pages Router, similar to the default behavior in the App Router. This can save you time and effort by reducing the number of packages you need to manage manually.
You can use serverExternalPackages to opt out of specific packages if needed. This gives you flexibility and control over which packages are bundled.
Error Handling
Error handling is a crucial aspect of any Next.js application, and New Relic makes it seamless. You can capture detailed error information by handling both client-side and server-side errors.
Client-side errors can be handled using the error.ts(.js) file, which defines an error UI boundary for a route segment. This file is used to capture and send error details to New Relic for further analysis.
To handle errors in the root layout, use the global-error.js(.ts) file and place it in the root app directory. This ensures that errors are effectively monitored and reported to New Relic.
Server-side errors are handled automatically by the @newrelic/next module, so you don't need to add any additional code for server-side error tracking. This module will capture and report these errors to New Relic, providing comprehensive error tracking for your Next.js application.
Improved hydration error messages in Next.js 15 provide more detailed information about the source code of the error and suggestions on how to address the issue.
Frontend Development
Frontend Development is a crucial aspect of a Next.js project, and setting up frontend observability is a great way to start. To inject the browser agent, you'll need to edit the app/layout.js(.ts) file.
The app/layout.js(.ts) file should be located in the root of the app directory of your project. This file is where you'll add the New Relic Browser agent script.
To do this, you'll need to install the newrelic npm package using the command `npm install newrelic @newrelic/next`. Once installed, you can add the `newrelic.getBrowserTimingHeader` method to your code.
Next.js with Stripe and TypeScript
Next.js with Stripe and TypeScript is a powerful combination for building fast and secure e-commerce applications.
Next.js is a popular React-based framework for building server-side rendered (SSR) and statically generated websites and applications.
To get started with Next.js, TypeScript, and Stripe Checkout, you'll need to install the required packages, including @stripe/stripe-js and @stripe/stripe-js/react.
Next.js and TypeScript work seamlessly together, allowing you to write robust and maintainable code with TypeScript's type safety features.
With Stripe Checkout, you can easily integrate a secure and customizable payment form into your Next.js application.
In a typical Next.js project, you'll use the pages directory to create routes for your application, including the payment page where Stripe Checkout will be integrated.
By using Stripe Checkout with Next.js and TypeScript, you can build a fast and secure e-commerce application that scales with your business needs.
Next.js Features
Next.js 15 brings significant improvements and new features to the popular React framework. This major release is now available as a release candidate (RC), allowing developers to test the latest updates before the stable release.
Next.js 15 RC supports the React 19 RC, which includes new features for both the client and server, such as Actions. The React Compiler feature promises to significantly boost application performance by optimizing JavaScript code. To use React 19, you'll need to update your dependencies, but note that some third-party libraries may not be compatible with React 19 yet.
The App Router release in Next 13 introduced Server Components, which allowed you to render your React components on the server and reduce the amount of data you needed to send to your client.
Partial Prerendering (Experimental)
Partial Prerendering (Experimental) is a feature in Next.js 15 that allows you to combine static and dynamic rendering on the same page.
To use this feature, you need to set the experimental.ppr config in next.config.js to 'incremental'. This is an experimental feature, so be cautious when implementing it.
The experimental_ppr route config option is used to opt specific Layouts and Pages into Partial Prerendering. This allows you to choose which pages will use this feature.
To adopt Partial Prerendering, you'll need to follow the code example provided by Next.js, which shows how to configure it in next.config.js.
Next/After (Experimental)
The next/after experimental API in Next.js is a game-changer for performing tasks like logging, analytics, and external system synchronization without blocking the primary response.
You can use after() to execute code after a response has finished streaming, but be aware that it will run even if the response doesn't complete successfully, including when an error is thrown or when notFound() or redirect() is called.
after() is a dynamic function that will opt a route into dynamic rendering, but you can override this behavior with the export dynamic = "force-static" segment config.
If you're using React cache, you can deduplicate functions called inside after() to improve performance.
However, keep in mind that cookies() cannot be set inside after() since the response has already been sent.
One thing to note is that after() can be nested inside other after() calls, which can be useful in certain scenarios.
What to Expect with Next.js 15
Next.js 15 is a major release that brings significant improvements and new features to the popular React framework. It's now available as a release candidate (RC), allowing developers to test the latest updates before the stable release.
The release date for Next.js 15 is expected to be around late October, following the same timeline as past releases. Historically, new versions have been rolled out following the Next.js Conference, and the Next.js 2024 Conference date has been released for October 24th, 2024.
Next.js 15 RC supports the React 19 RC, which includes new features for both the client and server, such as Actions. The React 19 RC also introduces a new React Compiler feature that promises to significantly boost application performance by optimizing JavaScript code.
To use React 19, you'll need to update your dependencies, but be aware that some third-party libraries may not be compatible with React 19 yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to run Next.js dev server?
To run the Next.js development server, simply type "npm run dev" in your terminal. This will start the server and make your application available at http://localhost:3000.
Is Next.js owned by Vercel?
Next.js is an open-source framework created by Vercel, a private company. Vercel is the company behind Next.js, but it's open-source, meaning it's community-driven and free to use.
Sources
- https://vercel.com/docs/frameworks/nextjs
- https://newrelic.com/blog/how-to-relic/how-to-monitor-app-based-router-nextjs-application
- https://www.luckymedia.dev/blog/next-js-15-an-early-look-and-release-date
- https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/javascript/guides/nextjs/
- https://www.propelauth.com/post/nextjs-challenges
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