Add locale before basePath - Troubleshooting Next.js

Next.js is a popular framework for building React applications. It provides many features out of the box, including internationalization (i18n) support. However, sometimes you may encounter an issue where the locale is not being added before the basePath, resulting in incorrect routing or broken links. In this article, we will troubleshoot this problem and provide a solution.

Understanding basePath and locale

Before we dive into troubleshooting, let's understand what basePath and locale mean in the context of Next.js.

basePath: The basePath is a configuration option in Next.js that allows you to specify a base URL for your application. It is useful when your application is not hosted at the root of your domain. For example, if your application is hosted at https://example.com/my-app, the basePath would be /my-app.

locale: The locale is a setting that determines the language and region-specific formatting of your application. It is used for internationalization purposes, allowing your application to display content in different languages and adapt to different cultural conventions.

The issue: Missing locale in basePath

Now, let's discuss the issue at hand. When using Next.js with internationalization enabled, the locale should be added before the basePath in the URL. For example, if the basePath is /my-app and the locale is en-US, the URL for the home page should be https://example.com/my-app/en-US.

However, in some cases, the locale is not being added before the basePath, resulting in URLs like https://example.com/my-app instead. This can cause problems with routing and broken links, as the application may not be able to correctly determine the current locale.

Troubleshooting the issue

If you are facing this issue, here are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve it:

1. Check your Next.js configuration: Verify that you have correctly set up the basePath and locale in your Next.js configuration. The basePath should be set in the next.config.js file using the basePath property, and the locale should be set in the next.config.js file or through a plugin like next-translate.
2. Inspect the generated HTML: Open the generated HTML source of your application and search for the <base> tag. The <base> tag specifies the base URL for all relative URLs in your application. Make sure that the href attribute of the <base> tag includes the locale before the basePath. For example, the href attribute should be /en-US/my-app/ if the locale is en-US and the basePath is /my-app.
3. Inspect the routing configuration: Next.js uses a file-based routing system. Check your routing configuration, typically located in the pages directory, to ensure that the locale is correctly included in the route definitions. For example, if you have a home page component, the file should be named index.en-US.js if the locale is en-US.
4. Check your links and navigation: Review your application's links and navigation components to ensure that they are correctly generating URLs with the locale before the basePath. If you are using Next.js's Link component, make sure to pass the locale as a query parameter or path segment when generating the URL.

By following these troubleshooting steps, you should be able to identify and resolve the issue with the missing locale in the basePath.

Next.js provides powerful features for building internationalized applications. However, sometimes issues can arise, such as the missing locale in the basePath. By understanding the concepts of basePath and locale, and following the troubleshooting steps outlined in this article, you can overcome this issue and ensure correct routing and link generation in your Next.js application.

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