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Next.js

NextJS Vercel 404 Error: How to Fix It

By Filip on 09/29/2024

Learn how to troubleshoot and fix the common "404 page not found" error when deploying your Next.js application to Vercel.

NextJS Vercel 404 Error: How to Fix It

Table of Contents

Introduction

This guide helps you troubleshoot 404 errors in your Next.js application deployed on Vercel. We'll cover checking deployment success, verifying file structure and naming conventions, reviewing routing and link configurations, understanding Next.js specific settings, exploring Vercel project settings, addressing potential build and deployment issues, and utilizing community resources for further assistance. We'll also examine a code example demonstrating how to configure a base path in your Next.js application. If you're still encountering problems, provide detailed information about your setup, code snippets, and error messages to get more specific guidance.

Step-by-Step Guide

Encountering a 404 error after deploying your Next.js application to Vercel can be frustrating. This guide provides a step-by-step approach to diagnose and resolve common causes:

1. Verify Deployment Success:

  • Check Vercel Dashboard: Ensure your deployment on Vercel completed successfully. Look for any error messages during the build and deployment process.
  • Inspect Network Requests: Use your browser's developer tools (Network tab) to examine the requests made when accessing your deployed site. A 404 response code confirms the server couldn't find the requested resource.

2. Correct File Structure and Naming:

  • Case Sensitivity: Vercel deployments are case-sensitive. Double-check that your file names (including .js, .jsx, .tsx extensions) and folder structure on Vercel exactly match your local setup.
  • Index Files: For a route like /products, ensure you have an index.js (or equivalent) file within the pages/products directory.

3. Routing and Links:

  • Client-Side Routing: If using client-side routing libraries (e.g., next/link, react-router), ensure your links point to the correct paths relative to your Vercel deployment's root URL.
  • Trailing Slashes: Inconsistent trailing slashes in URLs can cause issues. Decide on a convention (with or without) and enforce it consistently in your code and links.

4. Next.js Specific Configurations:

  • next.config.js:
    • basePath: If you've configured a basePath in your next.config.js, ensure your deployed URLs reflect this base path.
    • trailingSlash: Setting trailingSlash: true can help if you're encountering issues with inconsistent trailing slashes.
  • pages/404.js: Verify you have a custom 404 error page defined in your pages directory. This page should handle cases where a route is not found.

5. Vercel Settings:

  • Framework Preset: In your Vercel project settings, confirm the correct framework preset (e.g., Next.js) is selected.
  • Environment Variables: If your application relies on environment variables, ensure they are correctly set up in your Vercel project settings.

6. Build and Deployment Issues:

  • Redeploy: Sometimes, a simple redeployment can resolve transient issues. Try redeploying your application from the Vercel dashboard or using the Vercel CLI.
  • Clear Cache: Clear your browser cache or try accessing your site in a private/incognito window to rule out caching problems.
  • Inspect Serverless Functions: If using serverless functions, review their logs in the Vercel dashboard for any errors that might be causing the 404.

7. Code Example (JavaScript - Checking for basePath in next.config.js):

// next.config.js
module.exports = {
  reactStrictMode: true,
  basePath: '/my-app', // Example base path
};

8. Community Resources:

  • Vercel Forums: Search for similar issues or ask for help on the Vercel forums.
  • Stack Overflow: Stack Overflow is a valuable resource for finding solutions to coding problems.

If you've exhausted these steps and are still facing issues, provide detailed information about your problem, including:

  • Next.js version:
  • Vercel deployment settings:
  • Relevant code snippets:
  • Error messages:

This will help others understand your situation and provide more targeted assistance.

Code Example

This code defines a Next.js application with a custom base path and a custom 404 error page. The _app.js file ensures that all routes include the base path, while next.config.js sets the base path to '/my-app'. The 404.js file provides a user-friendly error page with a link back to the homepage.

// pages/_app.js 
import { useRouter } from 'next/router';
import { useEffect } from 'react';

function MyApp({ Component, pageProps }) {
  const router = useRouter();

  useEffect(() => {
    // Check if the router.asPath includes the basePath (if defined)
    // Adjust this logic based on your basePath configuration
    const basePath = '/my-app'; // Replace with your actual basePath
    if (basePath && !router.asPath.startsWith(basePath)) {
      // Redirect to the correct path with basePath
      router.push(`${basePath}${router.asPath}`);
    }
  }, [router]);

  return <Component {...pageProps} />;
}

export default MyApp;

// next.config.js
module.exports = {
  reactStrictMode: true,
  basePath: '/my-app', // Example base path
};

// pages/404.js
import Link from 'next/link';

export default function Custom404() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>404 - Page Not Found</h1>
      <p>
        The page you are looking for might have been removed, had its name
        changed, or is temporarily unavailable.
      </p>
      <Link href="/">
        <a>Go to Homepage</a>
      </Link>
    </div>
  );
}

Explanation:

  • pages/_app.js:
    • This code demonstrates how to handle basePath in your Next.js application.
    • It uses the useRouter hook from next/router to access the current route.
    • The useEffect hook checks if the current path includes the basePath. If not, it redirects the user to the correct path with the basePath prepended.
  • next.config.js:
    • This file defines the basePath for your application. In this example, it's set to /my-app.
  • pages/404.js:
    • This code creates a custom 404 error page that will be displayed when a user tries to access a route that doesn't exist.

How to Use:

  1. Set basePath: Replace /my-app in both _app.js and next.config.js with your desired base path.
  2. Deploy: Deploy your Next.js application to Vercel.
  3. Test: Access your deployed application. The code in _app.js will ensure that the basePath is correctly prepended to all routes.

Key Points:

  • Case Sensitivity: Remember that Vercel deployments are case-sensitive. Ensure your file and folder names match exactly.
  • Trailing Slashes: Be consistent with trailing slashes in your URLs and consider using the trailingSlash option in next.config.js.
  • Environment Variables: Double-check that any environment variables your application relies on are correctly set up in your Vercel project settings.
  • Serverless Functions: If you are using serverless functions, review their logs in the Vercel dashboard for any errors.

By following these steps and using the provided code examples, you can effectively troubleshoot and resolve 404 errors in your Vercel deployments.

Additional Notes

General Tips:

  • Start Simple: Before diving into complex solutions, try a hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R), clearing your browser cache, and testing in an incognito window. These simple steps often resolve seemingly complex issues.
  • Incremental Testing: When making changes to your code or configuration, deploy and test frequently. This helps isolate the source of the problem more quickly.
  • Version Control: Utilize a version control system (like Git) to track your changes. This allows you to easily revert to a previous working state if needed.

Debugging:

  • Vercel CLI: The Vercel CLI provides helpful commands for debugging deployments. Use vercel dev to run your application locally in a Vercel-like environment, and vercel logs to inspect deployment logs.
  • Browser Developer Tools: The Network tab in your browser's developer tools is invaluable for inspecting network requests and responses. Look for 404 status codes and examine the request URLs and headers.
  • Console Logging: Strategically placed console.log statements in your code can help you understand the flow of execution and identify potential issues.

Common Causes of 404 Errors:

  • Incorrectly configured redirects or rewrites in your next.config.js file.
  • Missing or misspelled API routes if you're using Next.js API routes.
  • Issues with data fetching if your application relies on external APIs or databases.
  • Problems with serverless functions if you're using serverless functions for dynamic routing or data fetching.

Additional Resources:

  • Vercel Documentation: The official Vercel documentation is an excellent resource for troubleshooting deployments and understanding Vercel's features.
  • Next.js Documentation: The Next.js documentation provides comprehensive information on routing, configuration, and deployment.
  • GitHub Issues: Search the Vercel and Next.js GitHub repositories for similar issues or open a new issue if you can't find a solution.

Remember: Providing detailed information about your problem, including Next.js and Vercel versions, relevant code snippets, error messages, and steps to reproduce the issue, will greatly increase your chances of getting effective help from the community.

Summary

This guide provides a concise checklist for resolving 404 errors after deploying a Next.js application to Vercel:

Deployment Verification:

  • Confirm successful deployment on the Vercel dashboard.
  • Inspect network requests in your browser's developer tools for 404 responses.

File Structure and Naming:

  • Ensure case-sensitive file and folder names match your local setup.
  • Verify the presence of index.js files within route directories.

Routing and Links:

  • Check client-side routing paths for accuracy.
  • Maintain consistency with trailing slashes in URLs.

Next.js Configuration:

  • Review basePath and trailingSlash settings in next.config.js.
  • Confirm the existence of a custom 404 error page (pages/404.js).

Vercel Settings:

  • Verify the correct framework preset is selected.
  • Ensure environment variables are properly configured.

Build and Deployment Troubleshooting:

  • Redeploy your application.
  • Clear your browser cache.
  • Inspect serverless function logs for errors.

Seeking Further Assistance:

  • Utilize Vercel forums and Stack Overflow for community support.
  • Provide detailed information about your issue, including Next.js version, Vercel settings, code snippets, and error messages.

Conclusion

By meticulously following these troubleshooting steps and leveraging the provided code examples, developers can effectively diagnose and resolve 404 errors encountered in their Next.js applications deployed on Vercel. Remember to start with simple checks, utilize debugging tools effectively, and consult community resources when needed. Providing comprehensive information about the issue will significantly aid in finding a solution. With patience and a systematic approach, you can ensure your Next.js applications are deployed and accessible without encountering frustrating 404 errors.

References

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