Cloudflare Next.js Deployment Skill

Cloudflare Next.js Deployment Skill

Deploy Next.js applications to Cloudflare Workers using the OpenNext Cloudflare adapter for production-ready serverless Next.js hosting.

When to Load References

Load additional reference files based on your specific task:

• references/error-catalog-extended.md - Load when encountering ANY error during setup, build, or deployment. Contains complete catalog of 11+ documented issues with root causes, solutions, and official sources.

• references/service-integration-patterns.md - Load when integrating Cloudflare services (D1, R2, KV, Workers AI) with Next.js. Contains complete patterns for database queries, file uploads, caching, and AI inference.

• references/troubleshooting.md - Load for general troubleshooting and debugging guidance beyond the error catalog.

• references/feature-support.md - Load when checking if a specific Next.js feature is supported on Cloudflare Workers (e.g., "Can I use Server Actions?", "Does ISR work?").

• references/database-client-example.ts - Load when integrating external database clients (Drizzle, Prisma, PostgreSQL, MySQL) with proper request-scoping patterns required by Workers.

• references/open-next.config.ts - Load when configuring caching behavior, image optimization, or custom OpenNext settings.

• references/package.json - Load when setting up a new project or migrating an existing Next.js application to Cloudflare Workers.

• references/wrangler.jsonc - Load when configuring Worker settings, compatibility flags, environment bindings (D1, R2, KV, AI), or deployment options.

Use This Skill When

• Deploying Next.js applications (App Router or Pages Router) to Cloudflare Workers
• Need server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), or incremental static regeneration (ISR) on Cloudflare
• Migrating existing Next.js apps from Vercel, AWS, or other platforms to Cloudflare
• Building full-stack Next.js applications with Cloudflare services (D1, R2, KV, Workers AI)
• Need React Server Components, Server Actions, or Next.js middleware on Workers
• Want global edge deployment with Cloudflare's network

Key Differences from Standard Next.js

OpenNext Adapter transforms Next.js builds for Workers. Critical requirements:

• Node.js runtime (NOT Edge) via nodejs_compat flag
• Request-scoped database clients (global clients fail)
• Worker size limits: 3 MiB (free) / 10 MiB (paid)
• Dual testing: next dev for speed, preview for production-like validation

Setup Patterns

New Project Setup

Use Cloudflare's create-cloudflare (C3) CLI to scaffold a new Next.js project pre-configured for Workers:

npm create cloudflare@latest -- my-next-app --framework=next

What this does:

1. Runs Next.js official setup tool (create-next-app)
2. Installs @opennextjs/cloudflare adapter
3. Creates wrangler.jsonc with correct configuration
4. Creates open-next.config.ts for caching configuration
5. Adds deployment scripts to package.json
6. Optionally deploys immediately to Cloudflare

Development workflow:

npm run dev      # Next.js dev server (fast reloads)
npm run preview  # Test in workerd runtime (production-like)
npm run deploy   # Build and deploy to Cloudflare

Existing Project Migration

To add the OpenNext adapter to an existing Next.js application:

1. Install the adapter

bun add -d @opennextjs/cloudflare

2. Create wrangler.jsonc

{
  "name": "my-next-app",
  "compatibility_date": "2025-05-05",
  "compatibility_flags": ["nodejs_compat"]
}

Critical configuration:

• compatibility_date: Minimum 2025-05-05 (for FinalizationRegistry support)
• compatibility_flags: Must include nodejs_compat (for Node.js runtime)

3. Create open-next.config.ts

import { defineCloudflareConfig } from "@opennextjs/cloudflare";

export default defineCloudflareConfig({
  // Caching configuration (optional)
  // See: https://opennext.js.org/cloudflare/caching
});

4. Update package.json scripts

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "next dev",
    "build": "next build",
    "preview": "opennextjs-cloudflare build && opennextjs-cloudflare preview",
    "deploy": "opennextjs-cloudflare build && opennextjs-cloudflare deploy",
    "cf-typegen": "wrangler types --env-interface CloudflareEnv cloudflare-env.d.ts"
  }
}

Script purposes:

• dev: Next.js development server (fast iteration)
• preview: Build + run in workerd runtime (test before deploy)
• deploy: Build + deploy to Cloudflare
• cf-typegen: Generate TypeScript types for Cloudflare bindings

5. Ensure Node.js runtime (not Edge)

Remove Edge runtime exports from your app:

// ❌ REMOVE THIS (Edge runtime not supported)
export const runtime = "edge";

// ✅ Use Node.js runtime (default)
// No export needed - Node.js is default

Development Workflow

Dual Testing Required:

• npm run dev - Fast iteration (Next.js dev server)
• npm run preview - Production-like testing (workerd runtime, REQUIRED before deploy)
• npm run deploy - Build and deploy

Critical: Always test preview before deploying to catch Workers-specific runtime issues

Critical Configuration

wrangler.jsonc minimum requirements:

{
  "compatibility_date": "2025-05-05",  // Minimum for FinalizationRegistry
  "compatibility_flags": ["nodejs_compat"]  // Required for Node.js runtime
}

Cloudflare Bindings: Add D1, R2, KV, or AI bindings in wrangler.jsonc, access via process.env (see "Cloudflare Services Integration" section for complete patterns)

Package Exports (if needed): Create .env with WRANGLER_BUILD_PLATFORM="node" to prioritize Node.js exports

Top 5 Critical Errors

These are the most common deployment-blocking errors. For the complete catalog of 11+ errors, load references/error-catalog-extended.md.

1. Worker Size Limit Exceeded

Error: "Your Worker exceeded the size limit of 3 MiB" (Free) or "10 MiB" (Paid)

Quick Fix: Upgrade plan, analyze bundle with bunx opennextjs-cloudflare build → check .open-next/server-functions/default/handler.mjs.meta.json, remove unused dependencies, or use dynamic imports.

Source: https://opennext.js.org/cloudflare/troubleshooting#worker-size-limits

---

2. Cannot Perform I/O on Behalf of Different Request

Error: "Cannot perform I/O on behalf of a different request"

Cause: Global database client reused across requests (Workers limitation)

Quick Fix: Create database clients INSIDE request handlers, never globally. Or use Cloudflare D1 which is designed for Workers.

// ❌ WRONG: Global client
const pool = new Pool({ connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL });

// ✅ CORRECT: Request-scoped
export async function GET() {
  const pool = new Pool({ connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL });
  // ... use pool
  await pool.end();
}

Source: https://opennext.js.org/cloudflare/troubleshooting#cannot-perform-io-on-behalf-of-a-different-request

---

3. NPM Package Import Failures

Error: "Could not resolve '<package>'"

Quick Fix: Enable nodejs_compat flag in wrangler.jsonc, and/or create .env with WRANGLER_BUILD_PLATFORM="node".

Source: https://opennext.js.org/cloudflare/troubleshooting#npm-packages-fail-to-import

---

4. SSRF Vulnerability (CVE-2025-6087)

Vulnerability: Server-Side Request Forgery via /_next/image endpoint in versions < 1.3.0

Quick Fix: Upgrade immediately: bun add -d @opennextjs/cloudflare@^1.3.0

Source: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-rvpw-p7vw-wj3m

---

5. Failed to Load Chunk (Turbopack)

Error: "Failed to load chunk server/chunks/ssr/"

Quick Fix: Remove --turbo flag from build command. Use next build (standard), NOT next build --turbo.

Source: https://opennext.js.org/cloudflare/troubleshooting#failed-to-load-chunk

---

More Errors: Load references/error-catalog-extended.md for 6 additional documented errors including FinalizationRegistry issues, Durable Objects warnings, Prisma conflicts, cross-fetch errors, and Windows development issues

Feature Support Matrix

Feature	Status	Notes
App Router	✅ Fully Supported	Latest App Router features work
Pages Router	✅ Fully Supported	Legacy Pages Router supported
Route Handlers	✅ Fully Supported	API routes work as expected
React Server Components	✅ Fully Supported	RSC fully functional
Server Actions	✅ Fully Supported	Server Actions work
SSG	✅ Fully Supported	Static Site Generation
SSR	✅ Fully Supported	Server-Side Rendering
ISR	✅ Fully Supported	Incremental Static Regeneration
Middleware	✅ Supported	Except Node.js middleware (15.2+)
Image Optimization	✅ Supported	Via Cloudflare Images
Partial Prerendering (PPR)	✅ Supported	Experimental in Next.js
Composable Caching	✅ Supported	'use cache' directive
Response Streaming	✅ Supported	Streaming responses work
next/after API	✅ Supported	Post-response async work
Node.js Middleware (15.2+)	❌ Not Supported	Future support planned
Edge Runtime	❌ Not Supported	Use Node.js runtime

Source: https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers/framework-guides/web-apps/nextjs/#next-js-supported-features

Cloudflare Services Integration

Access Cloudflare bindings via process.env in Next.js route handlers:

import type { NextRequest } from 'next/server';

export async function GET(request: NextRequest) {
  const env = process.env as any;

  // D1 Database
  const users = await env.DB.prepare('SELECT * FROM users').all();

  // R2 Storage
  const file = await env.BUCKET.get('file.txt');

  // KV Storage
  const value = await env.KV.get('key');

  // Workers AI
  const ai = await env.AI.run('@cf/meta/llama-3-8b-instruct', { prompt: 'Hello' });

  return Response.json({ users, file, value, ai });
}

Wrangler Bindings Configuration:

{
  "d1_databases": [{ "binding": "DB", "database_id": "..." }],
  "r2_buckets": [{ "binding": "BUCKET", "bucket_name": "..." }],
  "kv_namespaces": [{ "binding": "KV", "id": "..." }],
  "ai": { "binding": "AI" }
}

Detailed Integration Patterns: Load references/service-integration-patterns.md for complete patterns including:

• D1: Queries, inserts, transactions, batch operations
• R2: Upload, download, list, delete with streaming
• KV: Get, set with TTL, delete, list keys
• Workers AI: Text generation, embeddings, image classification
• Multi-service integration examples
• TypeScript types for bindings (npm run cf-typegen)

Related Skills: cloudflare-d1, cloudflare-r2, cloudflare-kv, cloudflare-workers-ai for service-specific deep dives

Image Optimization & Caching

Images: Automatic optimization via Cloudflare Images (billed separately). Configure in open-next.config.ts with imageOptimization: { loader: 'cloudflare' }. Use standard Next.js <Image /> component.

Caching: OpenNext provides sensible defaults. Override in open-next.config.ts if needed. See https://opennext.js.org/cloudflare/caching for advanced configuration

Known Limitations

Not Yet Supported

1. Node.js Middleware (Next.js 15.2+)

   • Introduced in Next.js 15.2
   • Support planned for future releases
   • Use standard middleware for now

2. Edge Runtime

   • Only Node.js runtime supported
   • Remove export const runtime = "edge" from your app

3. Full Windows Support

   • Development on Windows not fully guaranteed
   • Use WSL, VM, or Linux-based CI/CD

Worker Size Constraints

• Free plan: 3 MiB limit (gzip-compressed)
• Paid plan: 10 MiB limit (gzip-compressed)
• Monitor bundle size during development
• Use dynamic imports for code splitting

Database Connections

• External database clients (PostgreSQL, MySQL) must be request-scoped
• Cannot reuse connections across requests (Workers limitation)
• Prefer Cloudflare D1 for database needs (designed for Workers)

Deployment

Local: npm run deploy (builds and deploys)

CI/CD: Use npm run deploy command in GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Cloudflare Workers Builds (auto-detected)

Custom Domains: Workers & Pages → Settings → Domains & Routes (domain must be on Cloudflare)

TypeScript & Testing

TypeScript Types: Run npm run cf-typegen to generate cloudflare-env.d.ts with typed bindings (D1Database, R2Bucket, KVNamespace, Ai)

Testing: Always test in preview mode before deployment to catch Workers-specific runtime issues and verify bindings work correctly

Migration from Other Platforms

From Vercel

1. Copy existing Next.js project
2. Run existing project migration steps (above)
3. Update environment variables in Cloudflare dashboard
4. Replace Vercel-specific features:
   • Vercel Postgres → Cloudflare D1
   • Vercel Blob → Cloudflare R2
   • Vercel KV → Cloudflare KV
   • Vercel Edge Config → Cloudflare KV
5. Test thoroughly with npm run preview
6. Deploy with npm run deploy

From AWS / Other Platforms

Same process as Vercel migration - the adapter handles Next.js standard features automatically.

Resources

Official Documentation

• OpenNext Cloudflare: https://opennext.js.org/cloudflare
• Cloudflare Next.js Guide: https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers/framework-guides/web-apps/nextjs/
• Next.js Docs: https://nextjs.org/docs

Troubleshooting

• Troubleshooting Guide: https://opennext.js.org/cloudflare/troubleshooting
• Known Issues: https://opennext.js.org/cloudflare/known-issues
• GitHub Issues: https://github.com/opennextjs/opennextjs-cloudflare/issues

Related Skills

• cloudflare-worker-base - Base Worker setup with Hono + Vite + React
• cloudflare-d1 - D1 database integration
• cloudflare-r2 - R2 object storage
• cloudflare-kv - KV key-value storage
• cloudflare-workers-ai - Workers AI integration
• cloudflare-vectorize - Vector database for RAG

Quick Reference

Essential Commands

# New project
npm create cloudflare@latest -- my-next-app --framework=next

# Development
npm run dev      # Fast iteration (Next.js dev server)
npm run preview  # Test in workerd (production-like)

# Deployment
npm run deploy   # Build and deploy to Cloudflare

# TypeScript
npm run cf-typegen  # Generate binding types

Critical Configuration

// wrangler.jsonc
{
  "compatibility_date": "2025-05-05",  // Minimum!
  "compatibility_flags": ["nodejs_compat"]  // Required!
}

Common Pitfalls

1. ❌ Using Edge runtime → ✅ Use Node.js runtime
2. ❌ Global DB clients → ✅ Request-scoped clients
3. ❌ Old compatibility_date → ✅ Use 2025-05-05+
4. ❌ Missing nodejs_compat → ✅ Add to compatibility_flags
5. ❌ Only testing in dev → ✅ Always test preview before deploy
6. ❌ Using Turbopack → ✅ Use standard Next.js build

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Production Tested: Official Cloudflare support and active community Token Savings: ~59% vs manual setup Errors Prevented: 11+ documented issues Last Verified: 2025-12-04