Understanding the Next.js Project Structure: An In-Depth Guide

Next.js automatically includes several default files and folders in a new project. In this guide, we will explore the role of each one and how they contribute to a well-organized, efficient project.

Key Folders and Files in Next.js

Default Project Files

Upon creating a Next.js project, you’ll see files like:

• tsconfig.json: Configuration for TypeScript support.
• tailwind.config.js: (If Tailwind was selected) Configuration for Tailwind CSS.
• .eslintrc: Configures ESLint for code linting.
• .gitignore: Specifies files to ignore in version control.
• package.json: Contains the dependencies, scripts, and metadata for the project.
• next.config.js: Core configurations for customizing and optimizing your Next.js app.

Each of these files can be adjusted to customize your project as needed.

The node_modules Folder

The node_modules folder holds all dependencies installed by npm. You generally don’t need to interact directly with this folder, but it is essential for running your project.

The public Folder

The public folder contains static assets accessible from the root URL. For example, an SVG file stored as public/file.svg can be referenced as /file.svg directly in your code.

Use this folder for:

• Images and other assets to be served directly.
• PDFs or other documents.
• CSS files that don’t require pre-processing.

The src Folder

The src folder is the main area for your application code. This is where all application-specific components, pages, and assets reside.

• Pages: All route-specific pages should be placed here.
• Components: Use this folder for reusable UI components.
• CSS and Icons: Some CSS and icon files are stored here instead of public because Next.js pre-processes them.

For example, in global.css, you may import Tailwind’s utility classes. Next.js processes this file to bundle only the CSS classes in use.

Handling Global Files

Certain files have conventional locations at the root level:

• Environment Variables (.env): Store environment-specific configurations here.
• Special Files: Files like robots.txt and sitemap.xml can also be added to the root. Next.js identifies these files automatically and includes them in the application’s meta tags.

The .next Folder

When running or building your project, Next.js compiles your TypeScript files and stores the output in .next. This folder includes:

• Server files for Node.js runtime.
• Static files that have been optimized for delivery.
• Cache: Cache files that improve performance.

Typically, this folder is ignored in version control and is recreated each time you run npm run dev or npm run build.

Folder Organization Best Practices

To keep your project maintainable, consider these organizational principles:

• Root Level: Place all global configurations at the root level.
• Source Code: Place all application logic in src.
• Static Assets: Store all public, user-accessible files in public.

These guidelines ensure a clean, modular project structure that’s easy to navigate and scalable.

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For a deeper dive, watch the full video embedded above for practical examples and a walk-through of setting up your Next.js project structure.