How to Use MDX with Next.js

Introduction

Next.js, a popular React framework, pairs excellently with MDX to create powerful, dynamic websites. This guide will walk you through the process of integrating MDX into your Next.js project, allowing you to write interactive blog posts with ease.

Requirements

Before we begin, make sure you have:

• Node.js installed on your machine
• A basic understanding of React and Next.js
• Familiarity with Markdown syntax

Step 1: Install Dependencies

First, let's install the necessary packages. Run the following command in your project directory:

npm install @next/mdx @mdx-js/loader @mdx-js/react

Step 2: Configure Next.js

Update your next.config.js file to support MDX. We'll use the @next/mdx plugin to enable MDX support in Next.js:

{
const withMDX = require('@next/mdx')({
  extension: /\.mdx?$/,
  options: {
    remarkPlugins: [],
    rehypePlugins: [],
  },
})

module.exports = withMDX({
  pageExtensions: ['js', 'jsx', 'ts', 'tsx', 'md', 'mdx'],
})
}

Here, we're configuring Next.js to recognize .mdx files as pages and enabling MDX support. The remarkPlugins and rehypePlugins arrays allow you to add custom plugins to process your Markdown content.

Step 3: Create an MDX File

Now, create an MDX file in your pages directory, for example, pages/my-first-post.mdx. Include some Markdown content along with JSX:

---
title: My First MDX Post
---

# Welcome to my MDX blog!

This is a paragraph in **MDX**.

<CustomComponent />

Step 4: Create Custom Components

MDX allows you to use custom React components. Create a new file, components/CustomComponent.js:

export default function CustomComponent() {
  return (
    <div style={{ padding: '1rem', backgroundColor: '#f0f0f0' }}>
      <h2>This is a custom component!</h2>
      <p>You can include any React code here.</p>
    </div>
  )
}

Step 5: Use Components in MDX

To use your custom component in MDX files, you need to pass it as a prop. Update your pages/_app.js:

import { MDXProvider } from '@mdx-js/react'
import CustomComponent from '../components/CustomComponent'

const components = {
  CustomComponent
}

function MyApp({ Component, pageProps }) {
  return (
    <MDXProvider components={components}>
      <Component {...pageProps} />
    </MDXProvider>
  )
}

export default MyApp

Step 6: Add Frontmatter Support (Optional)

To use frontmatter in your MDX files, you'll need to install and configure a plugin:

npm install remark-frontmatter

Then update your next.config.js:

const withMDX = require('@next/mdx')({
  extension: /\.mdx?$/,
  options: {
    remarkPlugins: [require('remark-frontmatter')],
    rehypePlugins: [],
  },
})

Step 7: Create Dynamic MDX Pages

To create dynamic MDX pages, you can use Next.js's dynamic routes. Create a file pages/blog/[slug].js:

import fs from 'fs'
import path from 'path'
import matter from 'gray-matter'
import { MDXRemote } from 'next-mdx-remote'
import { serialize } from 'next-mdx-remote/serialize'

export default function BlogPost({ source, frontMatter }) {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>{frontMatter.title}</h1>
      <MDXRemote {...source} />
    </div>
  )
}

export async function getStaticPaths() {
  // Logic to get all .mdx files
}

export async function getStaticProps({ params }) {
  // Logic to read and process the MDX file
}

Conclusion

Integrating MDX with Next.js opens up a world of possibilities for creating dynamic, interactive blog posts and documentation. With this setup, you can leverage the full power of React components within your Markdown content, making your blog more engaging and developer-friendly.

Remember to explore MDX plugins and experiment with different components to get the most out of this powerful combination. Happy coding!