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How to Use MDX in Next.js

MDX combines the power of Markdown with the flexibility of JSX, allowing you to import and use React components directly in your Markdown content. In this blog post, I'll guide you through setting up and using MDX in your Next.js application, complete with practical examples.

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to set up MDX in a Next.js project, create custom components, and build dynamic, interactive content.

What is MDX?

MDX is a format that lets you write JSX directly in your Markdown documents. It provides a powerful way to write content that includes dynamic React components alongside your static text. This is especially useful for:

• Documentation sites
• Technical blogs
• Content-rich applications
• Interactive tutorials

Setting Up MDX in Next.js

Let's start by adding MDX support to your Next.js project:

Step 1: Install the necessary dependencies

npm install @next/mdx @mdx-js/loader @mdx-js/react
# or using yarn
yarn add @next/mdx @mdx-js/loader @mdx-js/react
# or using pnpm
pnpm add @next/mdx @mdx-js/loader @mdx-js/react

Step 2: Configure Next.js to use MDX

Create or update your next.config.js (or next.config.ts for TypeScript projects):

import createMDX from '@next/mdx'

/** @type {import('next').NextConfig} */
const nextConfig = {
  pageExtensions: ['js', 'jsx', 'mdx', 'ts', 'tsx'],
}

const withMDX = createMDX({
  extension: /\.(md|mdx)$/,
})

export default withMDX(nextConfig)

This configuration tells Next.js to treat .mdx files as pages.

Step 3: Create an MDX Components file

Create a file named mdx-components.tsx in your app directory:

import type { MDXComponents } from 'mdx/types'

export function useMDXComponents(components: MDXComponents): MDXComponents {
  return {
    // You can customize your MDX components here
    h1: ({ children }) => <h1 className="text-3xl font-bold my-4">{children}</h1>,
    h2: ({ children }) => <h2 className="text-2xl font-semibold my-3">{children}</h2>,
    // Add more custom components or override existing ones
    ...components,
  }
}

Creating Your First MDX Page

To create an MDX page in Next.js, simply add a .mdx file to your pages directory. Here's an example:

# My First MDX Page

This is a paragraph with some **bold** and *italic* text.

## A Subheading

- Item 1
- Item 2
- Item 3

[Link to Next.js](https://nextjs.org)

Tips and Best Practices

1. Optimize Images: Use Next.js Image component for optimized images in MDX
2. Create MDX Layout Components: Create special layouts for different types of MDX content
3. Organize Content: Structure your MDX files logically in folders
4. Reuse Components: Create a library of commonly used MDX components
5. Error Handling: Implement error boundaries around MDX content

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: Components not rendering properly

Solution: Make sure your MDX components file is exporting components correctly.

Issue: Styling conflicts

Solution: Use CSS modules or scoped styles for MDX components to prevent conflicts.

Issue: Slow build times with many MDX files

Solution: Implement lazy loading for MDX content and consider using static site generation.

Conclusion

MDX brings the best of both worlds to Next.js applications: the simplicity of Markdown and the power of React components. With the setup and examples provided in this guide, you should be well-equipped to create rich, interactive content in your Next.js projects.

Happy coding!