By Vishal Basumatary in javascript — Mar 24, 2023

best nextjs folder structure

Best Next.js Folder Structure

If you are looking for the best way to structure your Next.js application, you need to consider the following factors:

Scalability: Your application should be scalable and easy to maintain as it grows.
Organization: Your code should be organized in a way that is easy to navigate and understand.
Performance: Your application should load quickly and efficiently.

Standard Next.js Folder Structure

The standard Next.js folder structure is the default structure that is created when you first create a new Next.js project. It includes the following directories:


my-app/
|-- node_modules/
|-- pages/
|   |-- index.js
|-- public/
|-- styles/
|   |-- globals.css
|-- package.json

The pages/ directory contains all of your application's pages. Each page is a React component that corresponds to a URL. For example, the index.js file corresponds to the root URL (/).

The public/ directory contains all of your static assets, like images and fonts.

The styles/ directory contains all of your global styles, like your CSS reset and typography definitions.

Custom Next.js Folder Structure

While the standard Next.js folder structure works well for small applications, it may not be sufficient for larger, more complex applications. In those cases, you may want to create a custom folder structure that better suits your needs.

Here is an example of a custom Next.js folder structure:


my-app/
|-- components/
|   |-- Header/
|       |-- index.js
|       |-- styles.module.css
|-- pages/
|   |-- index.js
|   |-- about.js
|   |-- blog/
|       |-- index.js
|       |-- [slug].js
|-- public/
|-- styles/
|   |-- globals.css
|   |-- variables.css
|-- utils/
|   |-- api.js
|-- package.json

In this example, the components/ directory contains all of your reusable components. Each component is contained in its own directory, which includes the component's JavaScript file and its associated CSS module. This structure makes it easy to find and reuse components throughout your application.

The pages/ directory contains all of your application's pages, just like in the standard folder structure. However, this structure includes an additional subdirectory for blog posts, which allows you to organize your blog posts in a more meaningful way.

The utils/ directory contains all of your utility functions and API calls. This structure keeps your utility functions separate from your components and pages, making it easier to maintain and update them.

Conclusion

The best Next.js folder structure depends on the size and complexity of your application. If you are building a small application, the standard folder structure will work well. However, for larger applications, you may want to create a custom folder structure that better suits your needs.