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Next.js 13
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Server Components (preview)

Usage in Server Components (preview)

Next.js 13 introduces support for React Server Components in the app directory. next-intl is adopting the new capabilities and is currently offering a preview to early adopters, who are already building apps with the app directory.

💡

The app directory is currently in beta, patterns are still emerging and APIs may change. Please use this at your own risk, knowing that you might have to face a migration effort when the app directory becomes stable. next-intl tries to stay up to date with the latest developments on the Next.js side, but during this period there can be unexpected issues.

Current preview version

npm install next-intl@2.11.0-alpha.1

This preview version was tested with next@13.0.6.

Getting started

The setup is the same as for Client Components, but you're able to make two adjustments now:

  1. Replace the usage of NextIntlClientProvider with NextIntlServerProvider in your layout:
// app/[locale]/layout.tsx
import {NextIntlServerProvider} from 'next-intl/server';
import {notFound} from 'next/navigation';

export default async function LocaleLayout({children, params: {locale}}) {
  let messages;
  try {
    messages = (await import(`../../../messages/${locale}.json`)).default;
  } catch (error) {
    notFound();
  }

  return (
    <NextIntlServerProvider locale={locale} messages={messages}>
      {children}
    </NextIntlServerProvider>
  );
}
  1. Remove the 'use client'; directive from your page component:
// app/[locale]/page.tsx
import {useTranslations} from 'next-intl';

export default function Index() {
  const t = useTranslations('Index');
  return <h1>{t('title')}</h1>;
}

That's all it takes! Now you can internationalize your apps without adding i18n features to your client bundle.

If you're in a transitioning phase, either from the pages directory to the app directory, or from Client Components the the Server Components preview, you can apply both providers at the same time.

Switching to Client Components

If you need to use translations in Client Components, the best approach is to pass the generated labels as props.

// app/[locale]/page.tsx
import {useTranslations} from 'next-intl';
import InteractiveClientComponent from './InteractiveClientComponent';

export default function Index() {
  const t = useTranslations('Index');
  return <InteractiveClientComponent title={t('title')} />;
}
// app/[locale]/InteractiveClientComponent.tsx
'use client';

import {useEffect} from 'react';

function InteractiveClientComponent({title}) {
  useEffect(() => alert(title), [title]);
  return <h1>{title}</h1>;
}

This way your messages never leave the server and the client only needs to load the code that is necessary for initializing your interactive components.

If you absolutely need to use functionality from next-intl on the client side, you can wrap the respective components with NextIntlClientProvider (example code). Note however that this will increase your client bundle size.

Providing feedback

If you have feedback about using next-intl in the app directory, feel free to leave feedback in the PR which implements the React Server Components support.

Client Components