How to Get the Current Path in Next.js

Next.js is a popular framework for building React applications with server-side rendering and routing capabilities. In many web applications, you might need to access and work with the current URL path for various purposes, such as navigation, conditional rendering, or data fetching. In this article, we'll explore how to get the current path in a Next.js application.

Next.js provides a straightforward way to access the current path through the useRouter hook provided by the next/router package. This hook gives you access to various routing-related information, including the current path, query parameters, and more.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to get the current path in Next.js:

Step 1: Create a Next.js Application

If you haven't already created a Next.js application, you can do so using the following command:

npx create-next-app my-next-app

Replace my-next-app with the name of your project. Navigate to your project's directory:

cd my-next-app

Step 2: Import the useRouter Hook

In your Next.js components, you can import the useRouter hook like this:

import { useRouter } from 'next/router';

Step 3: Use useRouter to Get the Current Path

You can use the useRouter hook to access the current path. Here's an example of how to do it:

import { useRouter } from 'next/router';

function CurrentPath() {
  const router = useRouter();
  const currentPath = router.asPath;

  return (
    <div>
      <p>Current Path: {currentPath}</p>
    </div>
  );
}

export default CurrentPath;

In the code above, we import the useRouter hook and use it to get the asPath property, which represents the current URL path. We then render this path within our component.

Step 4: Display the Current Path

Now, you can include the CurrentPath component in your application and it will display the current path. For example, you can add it to a page or layout component:

import React from 'react';
import CurrentPath from '../components/CurrentPath';

function Home() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>My Next.js Application</h1>
      <CurrentPath />
    </div>
  );
}

export default Home;

With these steps, you can easily access and display the current path in your Next.js application. You can use this information for various purposes, such as highlighting the active navigation link, fetching data based on the current route, or conditionally rendering components.

Additional Information

The useRouter hook provides other useful properties and methods for working with routing, including:

• pathname: Returns the current URL pathname.
• query: Returns the query parameters as an object.
• push, replace, and back: Methods for programmatic navigation.

You can explore these features in the Next.js documentation to further enhance your routing capabilities in your application.

In conclusion, Next.js makes it straightforward to access the current path in your web application. By using the useRouter hook, you can easily retrieve the current URL path and use it for various purposes in your Next.js project. Whether you need it for navigation, data fetching, or conditional rendering, this knowledge will prove valuable in building dynamic and interactive web applications.