CRA to Next.js Migration Guide

Comprehensive migration guide for converting Create React App projects to Next.js, covering routing, data fetching, components, styling, and deployment. Contains 148 rules across 17 categories, prioritized by migration impact. After a successful migration the application should work the same as it did before the migration.

When to Apply

Reference these guidelines when:

• Migrating an existing CRA application to Next.js
• Converting React Router routes to file-based routing
• Adopting Server Components in a client-heavy app
• Moving from client-side rendering to SSR/SSG
• Updating environment variables for Next.js
• Optimizing images and fonts with Next.js built-ins

Version Policy

Use Next.js 16.x or later. Do NOT use Next.js 14.x or 15.x.