A Complete Guide - Installing and Setting Up a Nextjs Project

Last Updated: 03 Jul, 2025

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Installing and Setting Up a Next.js Project

Next.js is a powerful React-based framework for building server-rendered and statically generated web applications. It provides several features such as server-side rendering, code splitting, API routes, and more, making it a favorite choice among many developers for creating high-performance and SEO-friendly web applications. This guide will walk you through the process of installing and setting up a Next.js project, providing important information and detailed steps.

Prerequisites

Before you start, ensure you have the following:

Node.js and npm: Next.js requires Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager) to be installed on your machine. You can download and install them from the and download the installer for your operating system. During installation, ensure that npm is also selected to be installed with Node.js.

Verify Installation: Open your terminal or command prompt and run the following commands to verify that Node.js and npm are installed:

node -v
npm -v

You should see the version numbers for Node.js and npm.

Step 2: Creating a New Next.js Project

Next.js provides a convenient command-line tool called create-next-app to set up a new project quickly.

Use Create Next App: Open your terminal and run the following command:
```
npx create-next-app@latest
```
npx is a package runner tool that comes with npm 5.2+.
Configure Your Project: You will be prompted to enter the name of your project. For example, you can name it my-nextjs-app. Press Enter.
```
npx create-next-app@latest my-nextjs-app
```
Navigate to Your Project Directory: Once the project is created, navigate into the project directory:
```
cd my-nextjs-app
```
Install Dependencies: Although create-next-app automatically installs the necessary dependencies, you can run the following command to ensure everything is up to date:
```
npm install
```

Step 3: Starting the Development Server

Next.js includes a development server that helps you build and test your application.

Start the Development Server: Run the following command in your terminal:
```
npm run dev
```
Access Your Application: Open your web browser and go to You should see the default Next.js Welcome page, confirming that your development environment is set up correctly.


Step 4: Exploring the Project Structure
A Next.js project is structured in a specific way to facilitate efficient development.

pages Directory: This is where you define your routes and each file (except api directory) corresponds to a route. For example, pages/index.js will be the home page.
public Directory: Used for static files such as images, fonts, and other assets.
styles Directory: Contains CSS or SCSS files for styling your application.
components Directory: This is where you can create reusable components. You can organize this directory based on your project's needs.

Step 5: Adding a Custom Page
To understand how routing works, let's add a simple page.

Create a New File: Inside the pages directory, create a new file named about.js.

Add Content: Open about.js and add the following code:
export default function About() { return <h1>About Page</h1>;
}


Access the New Page: Go back to your browser and visit  You should see the text "About Page" displayed.



Step 6: Utilizing Server-Side Rendering (SSR) and Static Generation
Next.js supports both server-side rendering and static generation out-of-the-box.

Server-Side Rendering: Create a file named ssr-page.js in the pages directory and add the following code:
export async function getServerSideProps() { const res = await fetch(' const post = await res.json(); return { props: { post, }, };
} export default function SSRPage({ post }) { return ( <div> <h1>{post.title}</h1> <p>{post.body}</p> </div> );
}

Visit  to see the server-rendered content.


Static Generation: For static generation, create a file named static-page.js and add:
export async function getStaticProps() { const res = await fetch(' const post = await res.json(); return { props: { post, }, revalidate: 1, // Revalidate every second (for demonstration purposes) };
} export default function StaticPage({ post }) { return ( <div> <h1>{post.title}</h1> <p>{post.body}</p> </div> );
}

Visit  to see the statically generated content.



Step 7: Building and Exporting Your Application
When you're ready to deploy your application, you need to build and export it.

Build the Application: Run the following command in your terminal:
npm run build


Export Static HTML Files: If you want to deploy a static site, you can export static HTML files:
npm run export

This will create an out directory containing the static files.


Conclusion


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                                Step-by-Step Guide: How to Implement Installing and Setting Up a Nextjs Project
                            
Complete Examples, Step by Step for Beginners: Installing and Setting Up a Next.js Project
 Step 1: Set Up Your Development Environment
Before you begin, you need to ensure that you have Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager) installed on your computer.

Download and Install Node.js:

Visit the npx create-next-app@latest my-next-app


npx is a utility tool that comes with npm, which allows you to run one-off commands without installing packages globally.
create-next-app is the Next.js tool for setting up new projects.
@latest ensures you are using the latest version of the create-next-app tool.
my-next-app is the name of your project. You can replace it with any name you prefer.


Project Setup:

The CLI will prompt you to choose several options to customize your project:

Do you want to use TypeScript? (no / yes)
Do you want to use ESLint? (no / yes)
Do you want to use Tailwind CSS? (no / yes)
Do you want to use src/ directory? (no / yes)
What import alias would you like to use? (@/*)


Follow the prompts or press Enter to accept the defaults.


Navigate to Your Project Directory:

Change into your project directory by running:
cd my-next-app





Step 3: Understand Project Structure
Before diving into coding, let's take a moment to understand the basic structure of your Next.js project.

pages/ - This is where all your React components live. Each file inside this directory corresponds to a route in your application. For example, pages/index.js becomes the home page, and pages/about.js becomes the "about" page.
public/ - Place any static assets like images and fonts in this directory.
.env.local - Use this file to define environment variables.
next.config.mjs - Configure your Next.js app here.
package.json - Contains metadata about your project and dependencies.
tsconfig.json - TypeScript configuration file.

Step 4: Start the Development Server
Now that you have your project set up, it’s time to start the development server.

Run the Development Server:

In your terminal, make sure you are in the project directory, then run:
npm run dev


This command will start the Next.js development server and watch for changes in your project files.


Open Browser:

Once the server is running, open your web browser and go to 
You should see the default Next.js welcome page.




Step 5: Create a New Page
Let's create a new page to understand how routing works in Next.js.

Create a New File:

In the pages/ directory, create a new file named about.js.


Add Code to about.js:

Open about.js in your code editor and add the following code:
export default function About() { return ( <div> <h1>About Page</h1> <p>This is the About page of my Next.js app.</p> </div> )
}




Access the New Page:

Go back to your browser and navigate to 
You should see the content you just added.




Step 6: Install and Use a CSS Framework (Optional)
If you want to style your app using a CSS framework like Bootstrap or Tailwind CSS, Next.js makes it easy.

Install Tailwind CSS:

Run the following command to install Tailwind CSS:
npm install -D tailwindcss postcss autoprefixer
npx tailwindcss init -p




Configure Tailwind CSS:

Open the tailwind.config.js file and add the paths to all of your template files:
module.exports = { content: [ "./pages/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}", "./components/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}", ], theme: { extend: {}, }, plugins: [],
};




Include Tailwind in Your CSS:

Open the styles/globals.css file and add the Tailwind directives:
@tailwind base;
@tailwind components;
@tailwind utilities;




Use Tailwind CSS in Your Components:

You can now use Tailwind’s utility classes in your React components. For example, update your about.js file like this: 
                            
                                
                                    
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                                Top 10 Interview Questions & Answers on Installing and Setting Up a Nextjs Project
                            

1. What is Next.js and why should I use it?
Answer: Next.js is a popular React framework for building server-side rendering (SSR) and static web applications. It provides several advantages over traditional React, such as automatic code splitting, improved performance, and built-in support for static site generation. Using Next.js, you can create SEO-friendly web applications quickly and efficiently.
2. How do I install Node.js required for Next.js?
Answer: First, check if Node.js is installed by running node -v in your terminal. If it's not installed, download and install Node.js from the npx create-next-app@latest my-next-app

Replace my-next-app with your desired project name. This command will set up a new Next.js project with all the necessary dependencies.

4. What is the file structure of a Next.js project?
Answer: A typical Next.js project structure includes:

/pages: Places where React components are written, each file is a route.
/public: Contains static files such as images and fonts.
/styles: Contains CSS files for styling.
/components: Where custom React components are stored (this is not a default directory but commonly used).
next.config.js: Configuration file for Next.js settings.

5. How do I customize the Next.js configuration?
Answer: Modify the next.config.js file in the root of your project. This file allows you to configure a variety of settings, such as environment variables, module bundling, and image optimization. Here’s a basic example:
module.exports = { reactStrictMode: true, images: { domains: ['example.com'], },
};

6. How to add a CSS framework like Tailwind CSS to a Next.js project?
Answer: To add Tailwind CSS, first install the necessary packages:
npm install -D tailwindcss postcss autoprefixer
npx tailwindcss init -p

Then, configure Tailwind in your tailwind.config.js:
module.exports = { content: [ "./pages/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}", "./components/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}", ], theme: { extend: {}, }, plugins: [],
}

Finally, add Tailwind’s directives in your styles/globals.css:
@tailwind base;
@tailwind components;
@tailwind utilities;

7. How do I pre-render pages in Next.js?
Answer: Next.js supports two forms of pre-rendering: Static Generation (SSG) and Server-side Rendering (SSR).

Static Generation: Renders HTML once at build time. Use getStaticProps for data fetching.
Server-side Rendering: Renders HTML on each request. Use getServerSideProps for data fetching.

8. How do I deploy a Next.js app?
Answer: For deployment, you can use Next.js optimised hosting platforms:

Vercel: The easiest to deploy as Next.js is created by Vercel.
Netlify: Another good option if you prefer their dashboard.
AWS Amplify and Firebase Hosting also support Next.js.

To deploy on Vercel, navigate to your project directory and run:
vercel

This command will automatically detect your Next.js project structure and deploy it.
9. Can I use TypeScript with Next.js?
Answer: Yes, Next.js comes with built-in support for TypeScript. To initialize a TypeScript project, run:
npx create-next-app@latest my-next-app --typescript

Or, you can manually add TypeScript by installing the necessary packages and creating TypeScript config files (tsconfig.json):
npm install --save-dev typescript @types/react @types/node

10. How do I handle API routes in a Next.js app?
Answer: API routes allow you to create server-side endpoints. To add an API route, create a file under the pages/api directory. For example, to create a /api/hello route:
// pages/api/hello.js
export default function handler(req, res) { res.status(200).json({ name: 'John Doe' })
}

With these API routes, you can interact directly with them from within your React app.
 
                        
                        
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