Next.js Overview
How Next.js works on Pantheon
Next.js is the leading React framework for building web applications and sites. It stands out for its use of cutting edge development techniques and strong commitment to performance for the end users of the web.
Access & Availability
Support for Next.js is available to customers with Gold, Platinum or Diamond Workspaces because those workspaces have access to Multidev. Multidev environments create a unique site per Git branch which we consider essential for teams to be productive with Next.js on Pantheon.
Compatibility & Requirements
-
Node versions:
- Pantheon provides the latest 3 LTS versions of Node.js. Pantheon derives which one to use by looking at the engines property in
package.json, so ensure this is set in your project’s configuration.
- Pantheon provides the latest 3 LTS versions of Node.js. Pantheon derives which one to use by looking at the engines property in
-
Package managers:
- Pantheon will use
npm,yarn, orpnpmdepending on which lock file you have present in your repository. Having a lock file for more than one package manager can create unpredictable behavior.
- Pantheon will use
-
Expected commands in
package.json:- Pantheon assumes that a Next.js site has a
package.jsonfile withbuildandstartcommands. Sites usingyarnmust have agcp-buildscript instead of, or in addition tobuild. We consider inconsistency a bug in underlying Google Cloud build processes we leverage and will update this guidance once it is resolved.
- Pantheon assumes that a Next.js site has a
-
External version control:
- Next.js sites can only run on Pantheon if the code comes from a GitHub repository. Eventually we will expand that capability to BitBucket and GitLab.
Usage
To get up and running with Next.js on Pantheon, we recommend starting with a simple "Hello World" site following this tutorial or a basic integration of Next.js and Content Publisher.
If you have previously launched a Next.js site via Pantheon's Front-End Sites, use this guide for migration.
Most of the tasks related to developing a site with Next.js on Pantheon can be done through the Pantheon dashboard. We also provide command line equivalents for many tasks like log viewing and site creation.
Key Features
Pantheon makes teams using Next.js more effective by:
- Providing a container-based runtime environment that holds all the dependencies needed to run Next.js applications.
- Storing cached responses both in our Global CDN and a persistent layer that is shared across horitzontally scaled containers.
- Providing a Git-based workflow that integrates with GitHub to enable Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment.
- Offering a dashboard and command line tool for managing environments, viewing logs, and scaling resources.
We do all of this on the same platform that powers thousands of Drupal and WordPress sites. While Next.js is fundamentally a server-side application, it does not dicate where and how data is stored. By running Next.js on Pantheon, you can combine it with Drupal, WordPress or Content Publisher to provided a unified approach to content management and delivery.
Considerations
See the following page for current limitations of Next.js functionality on Pantheon: