
Mastering Next.js Project Organization is crucial for any developer working on a Next.js project. The src directory is the heart of your project, holding all the code that makes your application tick.
A well-organized src directory can save you hours of time and reduce frustration. It's essential to group related code together, such as pages, components, and utilities.
Next.js recommends creating separate folders for different types of code. For example, you can create a pages folder for your route-based pages and a components folder for reusable UI components.
By organizing your code in this way, you'll make it easier to find and maintain specific parts of your codebase. This is especially important as your project grows and becomes more complex.
Here's an interesting read: Next Js App vs Pages
Next.js 14 Features
Modularity is paramount for a streamlined developer workflow in Next.js 14, so structuring the 'src' directory for modularity is a must.
Components that make up the building blocks of an application's UI are housed in their own namespace within the src directory, often organized into subdirectories like _components.
If this caught your attention, see: How to Access Env Variable in Next Js
Pages within the src directory form the essence of file-system-based routing in Next.js, translating directly to routes within your application.
API routes are another essential aspect of the 'src' directory, allowing developers to easily construct backend endpoints that are tightly integrated with their frontend pages.
The 'src' directory promotes adherence to standardized file system practices that benefit development, such as encapsulating features within specific folders like _layouts and _hooks.
Developers must vigilantly use directory and file naming to distinctly communicate each unit's purpose and scope, preventing private folders from being treated as client-side routes.
A well-organized 'src' directory forms the backbone of any scalable application built with Next.js 14, facilitating a clear separation of concerns and ease of refactoring.
Integrating new technologies or libraries becomes a streamlined process thanks to such an organized folder structure, allowing developers to encapsulate new technologies within their own modules or directories.
Maintaining clear boundaries within the 'src' directory is crucial for performance and maintainability, making code-splitting simpler and enhancing load times and the overall user experience.
Readers also liked: Hire Next Js Developers
Src Directory
The src directory is an optional feature in Next.js that allows you to store your application code in a separate directory.
This helps keep your project configuration files, typically located in the root of the project, organized and separate from your application code.
The src directory provides a cleaner structure, making it easier to maintain and update your code.
This separation of code and configuration files improves the overall maintainability of your project.
You might enjoy: Nextjs Spa
Project Organization
Project organization is crucial for a Next.js project. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but common strategies include storing project files outside of the app directory, storing them in top-level folders inside the app directory, or splitting them by feature or route.
You can consider the following approaches:
- Store Project Files Outside of app: Keep all application code in shared folders at the root of your project, using the app directory solely for routing purposes.
- Store Project Files in Top-Level Folders Inside app: Store application code in shared folders within the app directory.
- Split Project Files by Feature or Route: Store globally shared application code in the root app directory and split more specific application code into the route segments that use them.
Project Organization Strategies
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to organizing Next.js projects. You can consider three common strategies: storing project files outside of app, storing them in top-level folders inside app, or splitting them by feature or route.
Storing project files outside of app keeps all application code in shared folders at the root of your project, using the app directory solely for routing purposes. This approach keeps related files together within route segments.
Storing project files in top-level folders inside app stores application code in shared folders within the app directory. This approach keeps related files together within route segments.
Splitting project files by feature or route stores globally shared application code in the root app directory and splits more specific application code into the route segments that use them. This approach allows for a more modular and granular organization.
The key to a well-organized project is to have a clear understanding of what each folder and file is responsible for. This can be achieved by using naming conventions and documentation within the 'src' directory.
Here are three common project organization strategies:
By using these strategies and following best practices for naming conventions and documentation, you can create a project organization structure that is scalable, maintainable, and easy to navigate.
Setting Up the SDK Manually

Setting up the SDK manually involves several steps.
First, you need to download the SDK from the official website. The SDK is available in several programming languages, including Java and Python.
You'll also need to create a new folder for the SDK and extract the downloaded files into it. This folder will serve as the main directory for your project.
Next, you'll need to set up the environment variables for the SDK. This involves creating a new file called 'env' in the project root directory, which will store the environment variables for the project.
The 'env' file should contain the API key and other necessary credentials for the project. This will allow the SDK to access the necessary resources.
Make sure to save the 'env' file in the project root directory and update the environment variables accordingly.
After setting up the environment variables, you can start using the SDK in your project. This will involve importing the necessary libraries and classes into your code.
Remember to keep the SDK up to date by regularly checking for updates and patches.
Suggestion: Nextjs Server Actions File Upload
Routing Fundamentals
In Next.js, routes are determined by files and folders in the codebase. This file-system-based routing mechanism is crucial for proper routing functionality.
To create a route, you need to create a folder in the src/app directory and a page.tsx file inside it. For example, creating a src/app/about folder and a page.tsx file inside it will create a route for the About page.
To add additional routes, you can create more folders and page.tsx files. For instance, creating a src/app/profile folder and a page.tsx file inside it will create a route for the Profile page.
Here's a breakdown of the basic routing conventions:
By following these conventions, you can easily create routes for your pages. For example, navigating to localhost:3000 will display the Home page, while navigating to localhost:3000/about will display the About page.
Next.js also supports nested routes, which allow you to establish a hierarchical structure within your application. To implement nested routes, you can create subfolders within the src/app directory. For example, creating a src/app/blog folder and subfolders for first and second blog posts will create routes for those pages.
To create dynamic routes, you can use square brackets in the folder name to indicate a dynamic route segment. For example, creating a src/app/products folder and a subfolder for a specific product ID will create a dynamic route for that product.
Explore further: Next Js Typescript Example Reducer
Sources
- https://borstch.com/blog/development/exploring-the-src-directory-in-nextjs-14
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/project-organization-file-colocation-nextjs-amitha-h-guyde
- https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/javascript/guides/nextjs/manual-setup/
- https://nextjs.org/docs/app/building-your-application/routing
- https://www.builder.io/blog/next-14-app-router
Featured Images: pexels.com