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    Creation:2025-11-01Last update:2026-05-31

    How to internationalize your Next.js application using next-i18next in 2026

    Table of Contents

    What is next-i18next?

    next-i18next is a popular internationalization (i18n) solution for Next.js applications. While the original next-i18next package was designed for the Pages Router, this guide shows you how to implement i18next with the modern App Router using i18next and react-i18next directly.

    With this approach, you can:

    • Organize translations using namespaces (e.g., common.json, about.json) for better content management.
    • Load translations efficiently by loading only the namespaces needed for each page, reducing bundle size.
    • Support both server and client components with proper SSR and hydration handling.
    • Ensure TypeScript support with type-safe locale configuration and translation keys.
    • Optimize for SEO with proper metadata, sitemap, and robots.txt internationalization.
    As an alternative, you can also refer to the next-intl guide, or directly using Intlayer.
    See the comparison in next-i18next vs next-intl vs Intlayer.

    Practices you should follow

    Before we dive into the implementation, here are some practices you should follow:

    • Set HTML lang and dir attributes In your layout, compute dir using getLocaleDirection(locale) and set <html lang={locale} dir={dir}> for proper accessibility and SEO.
    • Split messages by namespace Organize JSON files per locale and namespace (e.g., common.json, about.json) to load only what you need.
    • Minimize client payload On pages, send only required namespaces to NextIntlClientProvider (e.g., pick(messages, ['common', 'about'])).
    • Prefer static pages Use static page as much as possible for better performance and SEO.
    • I18n in server components Server components, like pages or all components not marked as client are statics and can be pre-rendered at build time. So we will have to pass the translation functions to them as props.
    • Set up TypeScript types For your locales to ensure type safety throughout your application.
    • Proxy for redirection Use a proxy to handle the locale detection and routing and redirect the user to the appropriate locale-prefixed URL.
    • Internationalization of your metadata, sitemap, robots.txt Internationalize your metadata, sitemap, robots.txt using the generateMetadata function provided by Next.js to ensure a better discovery by search engines in all locales.
    • Localize Links Localize Links using the Link component to redirect the user to the appropriate locale-prefixed URL. It's important to ensure the discovery of your pages in all locales.
    • Automate tests and translations Automate tests and translations help loosing time to maintain your multilingual application.
    See our doc listing everything you need to know about internationalization and SEO: Internationalization (i18n) with next-intl.

    Step-by-Step Guide to Set Up i18next in a Next.js Application

    ide.intlayer.org
    See Application Template on GitHub.

    Here's the project structure we'll be creating:

    bash
    .├── i18n.config.ts└── src # Src is optional    ├── locales    │   ├── en    │   │  ├── common.json    │   │  └── about.json    │   └── fr    │      ├── common.json    │      └── about.json    ├── types    │   └── i18next.d.ts    ├── app    │   ├── proxy.ts    │   ├── i18n    │   │   └── server.ts    │   └── [locale]    │       ├── layout.tsx    │       ├── (home) # / (Route Group to not pollute all pages with home messages)    │       │   ├── layout.tsx    │       │   └── page.tsx    │       └── about # /about    │           ├── layout.tsx    │           └── page.tsx    └── components        ├── I18nProvider.tsx        ├── ClientComponent.tsx        └── ServerComponent.tsx

    1. Install Dependencies

      Install the necessary packages using npm:

      bash
      npm install i18next react-i18next i18next-resources-to-backend
      • i18next: The core internationalization framework that handles translation loading and management.
      • react-i18next: React bindings for i18next that provide hooks like useTranslation for client components.
      • i18next-resources-to-backend: A plugin that enables dynamic loading of translation files, allowing you to load only the namespaces you need.

    2. Configure Your Project

      Create a configuration file to define your supported locales, default locale, and helper functions for URL localization. This file serves as the single source of truth for your i18n setup and ensures type safety throughout your application.

      Centralizing your locale configuration prevents inconsistencies and makes it easier to add or remove locales in the future. The helper functions ensure consistent URL generation for SEO and routing.

      i18n.config.ts
      // Define supported locales as a const array for type safety// The 'as const' assertion makes TypeScript infer literal types instead of string[]export const locales = ["en", "fr"] as const;// Extract the Locale type from the locales array// This creates a union type: "en" | "fr"export type Locale = (typeof locales)[number];// Set the default locale used when no locale is specifiedexport const defaultLocale: Locale = "en";// Right-to-left languages that need special text direction handlingexport const rtlLocales = ["ar", "he", "fa", "ur"] as const;// Check if a locale requires RTL (right-to-left) text direction// Used for languages like Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Urduexport const isRtl = (locale: string) =>  (rtlLocales as readonly string[]).includes(locale);// Generate a localized path for a given locale and path// Default locale paths don't have a prefix (e.g., "/about" instead of "/en/about")// Other locales are prefixed (e.g., "/fr/about")export function localizedPath(locale: string, path: string) {  return locale === defaultLocale ? path : `/${locale}${path}`;}// Base URL for absolute URLs (used in sitemaps, metadata, etc.)const ORIGIN = "https://example.com";// Generate an absolute URL with locale prefix// Used for SEO metadata, sitemaps, and canonical URLsexport function absoluteUrl(locale: string, path: string) {  return `${ORIGIN}${localizedPath(locale, path)}`;}// Used to set the locale cookie in the browserexport function getCookie(locale: Locale) {  return [    `NEXT_LOCALE=${locale}`,    "Path=/",    `Max-Age=${60 * 60 * 24 * 365}`, // 1 year    "SameSite=Lax",  ].join("; ");}

    3. Centralize Translation Namespaces

      Create a single source of truth for every namespace your application exposes. Reusing this list keeps server, client, and tooling code in sync and unlocks strong typing for translation helpers.

      src/i18n.namespaces.ts
      export const namespaces = ["common", "about"] as const;export type Namespace = (typeof namespaces)[number];

    4. Strongly Type Translation Keys with TypeScript

      Augment i18next to point at your canonical language files (usually English). TypeScript then infers valid keys per namespace, so calls to t() are checked end-to-end.

      src/types/i18next.d.ts
      import "i18next";declare module "i18next" {  interface CustomTypeOptions {    defaultNS: "common";    resources: {      common: typeof import("@/locales/en/common.json");      about: typeof import("@/locales/en/about.json");    };  }}
      Tip: Store this declaration under src/types (create the folder if it doesn't exist). Next.js already includes src in tsconfig.json, so the augmentation is picked up automatically. If not, add the following to your tsconfig.json file:
      tsconfig.json
      {  "include": ["src/types/**/*.ts"],}

      With this in place you can rely on autocomplete and compile-time checks:

      tsx
      import { useTranslation, type TFunction } from "react-i18next";const { t } = useTranslation("about");// OK, typed: t("counter.increment")// ERROR, compile error: t("doesNotExist")export type AboutTranslator = TFunction<"about">;

    5. Set Up Server-Side i18n Initialization

      Create a server-side initialization function that loads translations for server components. This function creates a separate i18next instance for server-side rendering, ensuring that translations are loaded before rendering.

      Server components need their own i18next instance because they run in a different context than client components. Pre-loading translations on the server prevents flash of untranslated content and improves SEO by ensuring search engines see translated content.

      src/app/i18n/server.ts
      import { createInstance } from "i18next";import { initReactI18next } from "react-i18next/initReactI18next";import resourcesToBackend from "i18next-resources-to-backend";import { defaultLocale } from "@/i18n.config";import { namespaces, type Namespace } from "@/i18n.namespaces";// Configure dynamic resource loading for i18next// This function dynamically imports translation JSON files based on locale and namespace// Example: locale="fr", namespace="about" -> imports "@/locales/fr/about.json"const backend = resourcesToBackend(  (locale: string, namespace: string) =>    import(`@/locales/${locale}/${namespace}.json`));const DEFAULT_NAMESPACES = [  namespaces[0],] as const satisfies readonly Namespace[];/** * Initialize i18next instance for server-side rendering * * @returns Initialized i18next instance ready for server-side use */export async function initI18next(  locale: string,  ns: readonly Namespace[] = DEFAULT_NAMESPACES) {  // Create a new i18next instance (separate from client-side instance)  const i18n = createInstance();  // Initialize with React integration and backend loader  await i18n    .use(initReactI18next) // Enable React hooks support    .use(backend) // Enable dynamic resource loading    .init({      lng: locale,      fallbackLng: defaultLocale,      ns, // Load only specified namespaces for better performance      defaultNS: "common", // Default namespace when none is specified      interpolation: { escapeValue: false }, // Don't escape HTML (React handles XSS protection)      react: { useSuspense: false }, // Disable Suspense for SSR compatibility      returnNull: false, // Return empty string instead of null for missing keys      initImmediate: false, // Defer initialization until resources are loaded (faster SSR)    });  return i18n;}

    6. Create Client-Side i18n Provider

      Create a client component provider that wraps your application with i18next context. This provider receives pre-loaded translations from the server to prevent flash of untranslated content (FOUC) and avoid duplicate fetching.

      Client components need their own i18next instance that runs in the browser. By accepting pre-loaded resources from the server, we ensure seamless hydration and prevent content flashing. The provider also manages locale changes and namespace loading dynamically.

      src/components/I18nProvider.tsx
      "use client";import { useEffect, useState } from "react";import { I18nextProvider } from "react-i18next";import { createInstance, type ResourceLanguage } from "i18next";import { initReactI18next } from "react-i18next/initReactI18next";import resourcesToBackend from "i18next-resources-to-backend";import { defaultLocale } from "@/i18n.config";import { namespaces as allNamespaces, type Namespace } from "@/i18n.namespaces";// Configure dynamic resource loading for client-side// Same pattern as server-side, but this instance runs in the browserconst backend = resourcesToBackend(  (locale: string, namespace: string) =>    import(`@/locales/${locale}/${namespace}.json`));type Props = {  locale: string;  namespaces?: readonly Namespace[];  // Pre-loaded resources from server (prevents FOUC - Flash of Untranslated Content)  // Format: { namespace: translationBundle }  resources?: Record<Namespace, ResourceLanguage>;  children: React.ReactNode;};/** * Client-side i18n provider that wraps the app with i18next context * Receives pre-loaded resources from server to avoid re-fetching translations */export default function I18nProvider({  locale,  namespaces = [allNamespaces[0]] as const,  resources,  children,}: Props) {  // Create i18n instance once using useState lazy initializer  // This ensures the instance is created only once, not on every render  const [i18n] = useState(() => {    const i18nInstance = createInstance();    i18nInstance      .use(initReactI18next)      .use(backend)      .init({        lng: locale,        fallbackLng: defaultLocale,        ns: namespaces,        // If resources are provided (from server), use them to avoid client-side fetching        // This prevents FOUC and improves initial load performance        resources: resources ? { [locale]: resources } : undefined,        defaultNS: "common",        interpolation: { escapeValue: false },        react: { useSuspense: false },        returnNull: false, // Prevent undefined values from being returned      });    return i18nInstance;  });  // Update language when locale prop changes  useEffect(() => {    i18n.changeLanguage(locale);  }, [locale, i18n]);  // Ensure all required namespaces are loaded client-side  // Using join("|") as dependency to compare arrays correctly  useEffect(() => {    i18n.loadNamespaces(namespaces);  }, [namespaces.join("|"), i18n]);  // Provide i18n instance to all child components via React context  return <I18nextProvider i18n={i18n}>{children}</I18nextProvider>;}

    7. Define Dynamic Locale Routes

      Set up dynamic routing for locales by creating a [locale] directory in your app folder. This allows Next.js to handle locale-based routing where each locale becomes a URL segment (e.g., /en/about, /fr/about).

      Using dynamic routes enables Next.js to generate static pages for all locales at build time, improving performance and SEO. The layout component sets the HTML lang and dir attributes based on the locale, which is crucial for accessibility and search engine understanding.

      src/app/[locale]/layout.tsx
      import type { ReactNode } from "react";import { locales, defaultLocale, isRtl, type Locale } from "@/i18n.config";// Disable dynamic params - all locales must be known at build time// This ensures static generation for all locale routesexport const dynamicParams = false;/** * Generate static params for all locales at build time * Next.js will pre-render pages for each locale returned here * Example: [{ locale: "en" }, { locale: "fr" }] */export function generateStaticParams() {  return locales.map((locale) => ({ locale }));}/** * Root layout component that handles locale-specific HTML attributes * Sets the lang attribute and text direction (ltr/rtl) based on locale */export default function LocaleLayout({  children,  params,}: {  children: ReactNode;  params: { locale: string };}) {  // Validate locale from URL params  // If invalid locale is provided, fall back to default locale  const locale: Locale = (locales as readonly string[]).includes(params.locale)    ? params.locale    : defaultLocale;  // Determine text direction based on locale  // RTL languages like Arabic need dir="rtl" for proper text rendering  const dir = isRtl(locale) ? "rtl" : "ltr";  return (    <html lang={locale} dir={dir}>      <body>{children}</body>    </html>  );}

    8. Create Your Translation Files

      Create JSON files for each locale and namespace. This structure allows you to organize translations logically and load only what you need for each page.

      Organizing translations by namespace (e.g., common.json, about.json) enables code splitting and reduces bundle size. You only load the translations needed for each page, improving performance.

      src/locales/en/common.json
      {  "appTitle": "Next.js i18n App",  "appDescription": "Example Next.js application with internationalization using i18next"}
      src/locales/fr/common.json
      {  "appTitle": "Application Next.js i18n",  "appDescription": "Exemple d'application Next.js avec internationalisation utilisant i18next"}
      src/locales/en/home.json
      {  "title": "Home",  "description": "Home page description",  "welcome": "Welcome",  "greeting": "Hello, world!",  "aboutPage": "About Page",  "documentation": "Documentation"}
      src/locales/fr/home.json
      {  "title": "Accueil",  "description": "Description de la page d'accueil",  "welcome": "Bienvenue",  "greeting": "Bonjour le monde!",  "aboutPage": "Page À propos",  "documentation": "Documentation"}
      src/locales/en/about.json
      {  "title": "About",  "description": "About page description",  "counter": {    "label": "Counter",    "increment": "Increment",    "description": "Click the button to increase the counter"  }}
      src/locales/fr/about.json
      {  "title": "À propos",  "description": "Description de la page À propos",  "counter": {    "label": "Compteur",    "increment": "Incrémenter",    "description": "Cliquez sur le bouton pour augmenter le compteur"  }}

    9. Utilize Translations in Your Pages

      Create a page component that initializes i18next on the server and passes translations to both server and client components. This ensures that translations are loaded before rendering and prevents content flashing.

      Server-side initialization loads translations before the page renders, improving SEO and preventing FOUC. By passing pre-loaded resources to the client provider, we avoid duplicate fetching and ensure smooth hydration.

      src/app/[locale]/about/index.tsx
      import I18nProvider from "@/components/I18nProvider";import { initI18next } from "@/app/i18n/server";import type { Locale } from "@/i18n.config";import { namespaces as allNamespaces, type Namespace } from "@/i18n.namespaces";import type { ResourceLanguage } from "i18next";import ClientComponent from "@/components/ClientComponent";import ServerComponent from "@/components/ServerComponent";/** * Server component page that handles i18n initialization * Pre-loads translations on the server and passes them to client components */export default async function AboutPage({  params: { locale },}: {  params: { locale: Locale };}) {  // Define which translation namespaces this page needs  // Reuse the centralized list for type safety and autocomplete  const pageNamespaces = allNamespaces;  // Initialize i18next on the server with required namespaces  // This loads translation JSON files server-side  const i18n = await initI18next(locale, pageNamespaces);  // Get a fixed translation function for the "about" namespace  // getFixedT locks the namespace, so t("title") instead of t("about:title")  const tAbout = i18n.getFixedT(locale, "about");  // Extract translation bundles from the i18n instance  // This data is passed to I18nProvider to hydrate client-side i18n  // Prevents FOUC (Flash of Untranslated Content) and avoids duplicate fetching  const resources = Object.fromEntries(    pageNamespaces.map((ns) => [ns, i18n.getResourceBundle(locale, ns)])  ) satisfies Record<Namespace, ResourceLanguage>;  return (    <I18nProvider      locale={locale}      namespaces={pageNamespaces}      resources={resources}    >      <main>        <h1>{tAbout("title")}</h1>        <ClientComponent />        <ServerComponent t={tAbout} locale={locale} count={0} />      </main>    </I18nProvider>  );}

    10. Use Translations in Client Components

      Client components can use the useTranslation hook to access translations. This hook provides access to the translation function and the i18n instance, allowing you to translate content and access locale information.

      Client components need React hooks to access translations. The useTranslation hook integrates seamlessly with i18next and provides reactive updates when the locale changes.

      Ensure the page/provider includes only the namespaces you need (e.g., about).
      If you use React < 19, memoize heavy formatters like Intl.NumberFormat.

      src/components/ClientComponent.tsx
      "use client";import { useState } from "react";import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";/** * Client component example using React hooks for translations * Can use hooks like useState, useEffect, and useTranslation */const ClientComponent = () => {  // useTranslation hook provides access to translation function and i18n instance  // Specify namespace to only load translations for "about" namespace  const { t, i18n } = useTranslation("about");  const [count, setCount] = useState(0);  // Create locale-aware number formatter  // i18n.language provides current locale (e.g., "en", "fr")  // Intl.NumberFormat formats numbers according to locale conventions  const numberFormat = new Intl.NumberFormat(i18n.language);  return (    <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-4">      {/* Format number using locale-specific formatting */}      <p className="text-5xl font-bold text-white m-0">        {numberFormat.format(count)}      </p>      <button        type="button"        className="flex h-12 w-full items-center justify-center gap-2 rounded-full bg-foreground px-5 text-background transition-colors hover:bg-[#383838] dark:hover:bg-[#ccc] md:w-[158px]"        aria-label={t("counter.label")}        onClick={() => setCount((c) => c + 1)}      >        {t("counter.increment")}      </button>    </div>  );};export default ClientComponent;

    11. Use Translations in Server Components

      Server components cannot use React hooks, so they receive translations via props from their parent components. This approach keeps server components synchronous and allows them to be nested inside client components.

      Server components that might be nested under client boundaries need to be synchronous. By passing translated strings and locale information as props, we avoid async operations and ensure proper rendering.

      src/components/ServerComponent.tsx
      import type { TFunction } from "i18next";type ServerComponentProps = {  // Translation function passed from parent server component  // Server components can't use hooks, so translations come via props  t: TFunction<"about">;  locale: string;  count: number;};/** * Server component example - receives translations as props * Can be nested inside client components (async server components) * Cannot use React hooks, so all data must come from props or async operations */const ServerComponent = ({ t, locale, count }: ServerComponentProps) => {  // Format number server-side using locale  // This runs on the server during SSR, improving initial page load  const formatted = new Intl.NumberFormat(locale).format(count);  return (    <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-4">      <p className="text-5xl font-bold text-white m-0">{formatted}</p>      {/* Use translation function passed as prop */}      <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-2">        <span className="text-xl font-semibold text-white">          {t("counter.label")}        </span>        <span className="text-sm opacity-80 italic">          {t("counter.description")}        </span>      </div>    </div>  );};export default ServerComponent;

    12. Change the language of your content

      Optional

      To change the language of your content in Next.js, the recommended way is to use locale-prefixed URLs and Next.js links. The example below reads the current locale from the route, strips it from the pathname, and renders one link per available locale.

      src/components/LocaleSwitcher.tsx
      "use client";import Link from "next/link";import { useParams, usePathname } from "next/navigation";import { useMemo } from "react";import { defaultLocale, getCookie, type Locale, locales } from "@/i18n.config";export default function LocaleSwitcher() {  const params = useParams();  const pathname = usePathname();  const activeLocale = (params?.locale as Locale | undefined) ?? defaultLocale;  const getLocaleLabel = (locale: Locale): string => {    try {      const displayNames = new Intl.DisplayNames([locale], {        type: "language",      });      return displayNames.of(locale) ?? locale.toUpperCase();    } catch {      return locale.toUpperCase();    }  };  const basePath = useMemo(() => {    if (!pathname) return "/";    const segments = pathname.split("/").filter(Boolean);    if (segments.length === 0) return "/";    const maybeLocale = segments[0] as Locale;    if ((locales as readonly string[]).includes(maybeLocale)) {      const rest = segments.slice(1).join("/");      return rest ? `/${rest}` : "/";    }    return pathname;  }, [pathname]);  return (    <nav aria-label="Language selector">      {(locales as readonly Locale[]).map((locale) => {        const isActive = locale === activeLocale;        const href =          locale === defaultLocale ? basePath : `/${locale}${basePath}`;        return (          <Link            key={locale}            href={href}            aria-current={isActive ? "page" : undefined}            onClick={() => {              document.cookie = getCookie(locale);            }}          >            {getLocaleLabel(locale)}          </Link>        );      })}    </nav>  );}

    13. Build a localized Link component

      Optional

      Reusing localized URLs across your app keeps navigation consistent and SEO-friendly. Wrap next/link in a small helper that prefixes internal routes with the active locale while leaving external URLs untouched.

      src/components/LocalizedLink.tsx
      "use client";import NextLink, { type LinkProps } from "next/link";import { useParams } from "next/navigation";import type { ComponentProps, PropsWithChildren } from "react";import {  defaultLocale,  type Locale,  locales,  localizedPath,} from "@/i18n.config";const isExternal = (href: string) => /^https?:\/\//.test(href);type LocalizedLinkProps = PropsWithChildren<  Omit<LinkProps, "href"> &    Omit<ComponentProps<"a">, "href"> & { href: string; locale?: Locale }>;export default function LocalizedLink({  href,  locale,  children,  ...props}: LocalizedLinkProps) {  const params = useParams();  const fallback = (params?.locale as Locale | undefined) ?? defaultLocale;  const normalizedLocale = (locales as readonly string[]).includes(fallback)    ? ((locale ?? fallback) as Locale)    : defaultLocale;  const normalizedPath = href.startsWith("/") ? href : `/${href}`;  const localizedHref = isExternal(href)    ? href    : localizedPath(normalizedLocale, normalizedPath);  return (    <NextLink href={localizedHref} {...props}>      {children}    </NextLink>  );}
      Tip: Because LocalizedLink is a drop-in replacement, migrate gradually by swapping imports and letting the component handle locale-specific URLs.

    14. Access the active locale inside Server Actions

      Optional

      Server Actions often need the current locale for emails, logging, or third-party integrations. Combine the locale cookie set by your proxy with the Accept-Language header as a fallback.

      src/app/actions/get-current-locale.ts
      "use server";import { cookies, headers } from "next/headers";import { defaultLocale, locales, type Locale } from "@/i18n.config";const KNOWN_LOCALES = new Set(locales as readonly string[]);const normalize = (value: string | undefined): Locale | undefined => {  if (!value) return undefined;  const base = value.toLowerCase().split("-")[0];  return KNOWN_LOCALES.has(base) ? (base as Locale) : undefined;};export async function getCurrentLocale(): Promise<Locale> {  const cookieLocale = normalize(cookies().get("NEXT_LOCALE")?.value);  if (cookieLocale) return cookieLocale;  const headerLocale = normalize(headers().get("accept-language"));  return headerLocale ?? defaultLocale;}// Example of a server action that uses the current localeexport async function stuffFromServer(formData: FormData) {  const locale = await getCurrentLocale();  // Use the locale for localized side effects (emails, CRM, etc.)  console.log(`Stuff from server with locale ${locale}`);}
      Because the helper relies on Next.js cookies and headers, it works in Route Handlers, Server Actions, and other server-only contexts.

    15. Internationalize Your Metadata

      Optional

      Translating content is important, but the main goal of internationalization is to make your website more visible to the world. I18n is an incredible lever to improve your website visibility through proper SEO.

      Properly internationalized metadata helps search engines understand what languages are available on your pages. This includes setting hreflang meta tags, translating titles and descriptions, and ensuring canonical URLs are correctly set for each locale.

      Here's a list of good practices regarding multilingual SEO:

      • Set hreflang meta tags in the <head> tag to help search engines understand what languages are available on the page
      • List all page translations in the sitemap.xml using the http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml XML schema
      • Do not forget to exclude prefixed pages from the robots.txt (e.g., /dashboard, /fr/dashboard, /es/dashboard)
      • Use custom Link component to redirect to the most localized page (e.g., in French <a href="/fr/about">À propos</a>)

      Developers often forget to properly reference their pages across locales. Let's fix that:

      src/app/[locale]/about/layout.tsx
      import type { Metadata } from "next";import {  locales,  defaultLocale,  localizedPath,  absoluteUrl,} from "@/i18n.config";/** * Generate SEO metadata for each locale version of the page * This function runs for each locale at build time */export async function generateMetadata({  params,}: {  params: { locale: string };}): Promise<Metadata> {  const { locale } = params;  // Dynamically import translation file for this locale  // Used to get translated title and description for metadata  const messages = (await import(`@/locales/${locale}/about.json`)).default;  // Create hreflang mapping for all locales  // Helps search engines understand language alternatives  // Format: { "en": "/about", "fr": "/fr/about" }  const languages = Object.fromEntries(    locales.map((locale) => [locale, localizedPath(locale, "/about")])  );  return {    title: messages.title,    description: messages.description,    alternates: {      // Canonical URL for this locale version      canonical: absoluteUrl(locale, "/about"),      // Language alternatives for SEO (hreflang tags)      // "x-default" specifies the default locale version      languages: {        ...languages,        "x-default": absoluteUrl(defaultLocale, "/about"),      },    },  };}export default async function AboutPage() {  return <h1>About</h1>;}

    16. Internationalize Your Sitemap

      Optional

      Generate a sitemap that includes all locale versions of your pages. This helps search engines discover and index all language versions of your content.

      A properly internationalized sitemap ensures search engines can find and index all language versions of your pages. This improves visibility in international search results.

      src/app/sitemap.ts
      import type { MetadataRoute } from "next";import { defaultLocale, locales } from "@/i18n";const origin = "https://example.com";const formatterLocalizedPath = (locale: string, path: string) =>  locale === defaultLocale ? `${origin}${path}` : `${origin}/${locale}${path}`;/** * Get a map of all locales and their localized paths * * Example output: * { *   "en": "https://example.com", *   "fr": "https://example.com/fr", *   "es": "https://example.com/es", *   "x-default": "https://example.com" * } */const getLocalizedMap = (path: string) =>  Object.fromEntries([    ...locales.map((locale) => [locale, formatterLocalizedPath(locale, path)]),    ["x-default", formatterLocalizedPath(defaultLocale, path)],  ]);// Generate sitemap with all locale variants for better SEO// The alternates field tells search engines about language versionsexport default function sitemap(): MetadataRoute.Sitemap {  return [    {      url: formatterLocalizedPath(defaultLocale, "/"),      lastModified: new Date(),      changeFrequency: "monthly",      priority: 1.0,      alternates: { languages: getLocalizedMap("/") },    },    {      url: formatterLocalizedPath(defaultLocale, "/about"),      lastModified: new Date(),      changeFrequency: "monthly",      priority: 0.7,      alternates: { languages: getLocalizedMap("/about") },    },  ];}

    17. Internationalize Your robots.txt

      Optional

      Create a robots.txt file that properly handles all locale versions of your protected routes. This ensures that search engines don't index admin or dashboard pages in any language.

      Properly configuring robots.txt for all locales prevents search engines from indexing sensitive pages in any language. This is crucial for security and privacy.

      src/app/robots.ts
      import type { MetadataRoute } from "next";import { defaultLocale, locales } from "@/i18n";const origin = "https://example.com";// Generate paths for all locales (e.g., /admin, /fr/admin, /es/admin)const withAllLocales = (path: string) => [  path,  ...locales    .filter((locale) => locale !== defaultLocale)    .map((locale) => `/${locale}${path}`),];const disallow = [...withAllLocales("/dashboard"), ...withAllLocales("/admin")];export default function robots(): MetadataRoute.Robots {  return {    rules: { userAgent: "*", allow: ["/"], disallow },    host: origin,    sitemap: `${origin}/sitemap.xml`,  };}

    18. Set Up Middleware for Locale Routing

      Optional

      Create a proxy to automatically detect the user's preferred locale and redirect them to the appropriate locale-prefixed URL. This improves user experience by showing content in their preferred language.

      Middleware ensures that users are automatically redirected to their preferred language when they visit your site. It also saves the user's preference in a cookie for future visits.

      src/proxy.ts
      import { NextResponse, type NextRequest } from "next/server";import { defaultLocale, locales } from "@/i18n.config";// Regex to match files with extensions (e.g., .js, .css, .png)// Used to exclude static assets from locale routingconst PUBLIC_FILE = /\.[^/]+$/;/** * Extract locale from Accept-Language header * Handles formats like "fr-CA", "en-US", etc. * Falls back to default locale if browser language is not supported */const pickLocale = (accept: string | null) => {  // Get first language preference (e.g., "fr-CA" from "fr-CA,en-US;q=0.9")  const raw = accept?.split(",")[0] ?? defaultLocale;  // Extract base language code (e.g., "fr" from "fr-CA")  const base = raw.toLowerCase().split("-")[0];  // Check if we support this locale, otherwise use default  return (locales as readonly string[]).includes(base) ? base : defaultLocale;};/** * Next.js proxy for locale detection and routing * Runs on every request before the page renders * Automatically redirects to locale-prefixed URLs when needed */export function proxy(request: NextRequest) {  const { pathname } = request.nextUrl;  // Skip proxy for Next.js internals, API routes, and static files  // These should not be locale-prefixed  if (    pathname.startsWith("/_next") ||    pathname.startsWith("/api") ||    pathname.startsWith("/static") ||    PUBLIC_FILE.test(pathname)  ) {    return;  }  // Check if URL already has a locale prefix  // Example: "/fr/about" or "/en" would return true  const hasLocale = (locales as readonly string[]).some(    (locale) => pathname === `/${locale}` || pathname.startsWith(`/${locale}/`)  );  // If no locale prefix, detect locale and redirect  if (!hasLocale) {    // Try to get locale from cookie first (user preference)    const cookieLocale = request.cookies.get("NEXT_LOCALE")?.value;    // Use cookie locale if valid, otherwise detect from browser headers    const locale =      cookieLocale && (locales as readonly string[]).includes(cookieLocale)        ? cookieLocale        : pickLocale(request.headers.get("accept-language"));    // Clone URL to modify pathname    const url = request.nextUrl.clone();    // Add locale prefix to pathname    // Handle root path specially to avoid double slash    url.pathname = `/${locale}${pathname === "/" ? "" : pathname}`;    // Create redirect response and set locale cookie    const res = NextResponse.redirect(url);    res.cookies.set("NEXT_LOCALE", locale, { path: "/" });    return res;  }}export const config = {  matcher: [    // Match all paths except:    // - API routes (/api/*)    // - Next.js internals (/_next/*)    // - Static files (/static/*)    // - Files with extensions (.*\\..*)    "/((?!api|_next|static|.*\\..*).*)",  ],};

    19. Automate Your Translations Using Intlayer

      Optional

      Intlayer is a free and open-source library designed to assist the localization process in your application. While i18next handles the translation loading and management, Intlayer helps automate the translation workflow.

      Managing translations manually can be time-consuming and error-prone. Intlayer automates translation testing, generation, and management, saving you time and ensuring consistency across your application.

      Intlayer will allows your to:

      • Declare your content where you want in your codebase Intlayer allows to declare your content where you want in your codebase using .content.{ts|js|json} files. It will allow a better organization of your content, ensuring better readability and maintainability of your codebase.

      • Test missing translations Intlayer provide test functions to that can be integrated in your CI/CD pipeline, or in your unit tests. Learn more about testing your translations.

      • Automate your translations, Intlayer provide a CLI and a VSCode extension to automate your translations. It can be integrated in your CI/CD pipeline. Learn more about automating your translations. You can use your own API key, and the AI provider of your choice. It also provide context aware translations, see fill content.

      • Connect external content Intlayer allows you to connect your content to an external content management system (CMS). To fetch it in a optimized way and insert it in your JSON resources. Learn more about fetching external content.

      • Visual editor Intlayer offers an free visual editor to edit your content using a visual editor. Learn more about visual editing your translations.

      And more. To discover all the features provided by Intlayer, please refer to the Interest of Intlayer documentation.

    SEO and i18ni18n using next-intl

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