---
title: "Next.js"
description: "Run bknd inside Next.js"
tags: ["documentation"]
---

## Installation

To get started with Next.js and bknd you can either install the package manually, and follow the descriptions below, or use the CLI starter.

### CLI Starter

Create a new Next.js CLI starter project by running the following command:

```sh
  npx bknd create -i nextjs
```

### Manual

Create a new Next.js project by following the [official guide](https://nextjs.org/docs/pages/api-reference/cli/create-next-app), and then install bknd as a dependency:

<Tabs groupId='package-manager' persist items={[ 'npm', 'pnpm', 'yarn', 'bun']}>

```bash tab="npm"
npm install bknd
```

```bash tab="pnpm"
pnpm install bknd
```

```bash tab="yarn"
yarn add bknd
```

```bash tab="bun"
bun add bknd
```

</Tabs>

## Configuration

<Callout type="warning">
  When run with Node.js, a version of 22 (LTS) or higher is required. Please
  verify your version by running `node -v`, and
  [upgrade](https://nodejs.org/en/download/) if necessary.
</Callout>

Now create a `bknd.config.ts` file in the root of your project. If you created the project using the CLI starter, this file is already created for you.

```typescript title="bknd.config.ts"
import type { NextjsBkndConfig } from "bknd/adapter/nextjs";

export default {
  connection: {
    url: "file:data.db",
  },
} satisfies NextjsBkndConfig;
```

See [bknd.config.ts](/extending/config) for more information on how to configure bknd. The `NextjsBkndConfig` type extends the `BkndConfig` type with the following additional properties:

```typescript
type NextjsEnv = NextApiRequest["env"];
export type NextjsBkndConfig<Env = NextjsEnv> = FrameworkBkndConfig<Env> & {
  cleanRequest?: { searchParams?: string[] };
};
```

## Serve the API

Create a helper file to instantiate the bknd instance and retrieve the API, importing the configurationfrom the `bknd.config.ts` file:

```ts title="src/bknd.ts"
import {
  type NextjsBkndConfig,
  getApp as getBkndApp,
} from "bknd/adapter/nextjs";
import { headers } from "next/headers";
import config from "../bknd.config";

export { config };

export async function getApp() {
  return await getBkndApp(config, process.env);
}

export async function getApi(opts?: { verify?: boolean }) {
  const app = await getApp();
  if (opts?.verify) {
    const api = app.getApi({ headers: await headers() });
    await api.verifyAuth();
    return api;
  }

  return app.getApi();
}
```

For more information about the connection object, refer to the [Database](/usage/database) guide.

Now to expose the API, create a catch-all route file at `src/api/[[...bknd]]/route.ts`:

```ts title="src/api/[[...bknd]]/route.ts"
import { config } from "@/bknd";
import { serve } from "bknd/adapter/nextjs";

// optionally, you can set the runtime to edge for better performance
// export const runtime = "edge";

const handler = serve({
  ...config,
  cleanRequest: {
    // depending on what name you used for the catch-all route,
    // you need to change this to clean it from the request.
    searchParams: ["bknd"],
  },
});

export const GET = handler;
export const POST = handler;
export const PUT = handler;
export const PATCH = handler;
export const DELETE = handler;
```

## Enabling the Admin UI

Create a page at `admin/[[...admin]]/page.tsx`:

```tsx title="admin/[[...admin]]/page.tsx"
import { Admin } from "bknd/ui";
import { getApi } from "@/bknd";
import "bknd/dist/styles.css";

export default async function AdminPage() {
  // make sure to verify auth using headers
  const api = await getApi({ verify: true });

  return (
    <Admin
      withProvider={{ user: api.getUser() }}
      config={{
        basepath: "/admin",
        logo_return_path: "/../",
        theme: "system",
      }}
    />
  );
}
```

## Example usage of the API

You can use the `getApi` helper function we've already set up to fetch and mutate in static pages and server components:

```tsx title="app/page.tsx"
import { getApi } from "@/bknd";

export default async function Home() {
  const api = await getApi();
  const { data: todos } = await api.data.readMany("todos", { limit: 5 });

  return (
    <ul>
      {todos.map((todo) => (
        <li key={String(todo.id)}>{todo.title}</li>
      ))}
    </ul>
  );
}
```
