Get started - Get started with Liveblocks and Next.js
Liveblocks is a realtime collaboration infrastructure for building performant
collaborative experiences. Follow the following steps to start adding
collaboration to your Next.js /app
directory application using the hooks from
the @liveblocks/react
package.
Quickstart
Install Liveblocks
Every package should use the same version.
Initialize the
liveblocks.config.ts
fileWe can use this file later to define types for our application.
Create a Liveblocks room
Liveblocks uses the concept of rooms, separate virtual spaces where people collaborate, and to create a realtime experience, multiple users must be connected to the same room. When using Next.js’
/app
router, we recommend creating your room in aRoom.tsx
file in the same directory as your current route.Set up a Liveblocks client with
LiveblocksProvider
, join a room withRoomProvider
, and useClientSideSuspense
to add a loading spinner to your app.app/Room.tsxAdd the Liveblocks room to your page
After creating your room file, it’s time to join it. Import your room into your
page.tsx
file, and place your collaborative app components inside it.app/page.tsxUse the Liveblocks hooks
Now that we’re connected to a room, we can start using the Liveblocks hooks. The first we’ll add is
useOthers
, a hook that provides information about which other users are connected to the room.app/CollaborativeApp.tsxNext: set up authentication
By default, Liveblocks is configured to work without an authentication endpoint where everyone automatically has access to rooms. This approach is great for prototyping and marketing pages where setting up your own security isn’t always required. If you want to limit access to a room for certain users, you’ll need to set up an authentication endpoint to enable permissions.
Set up authentication
What to read next
Congratulations! You now have set up the foundation to start building collaborative experiences for your React application.
- @liveblocks/react API Reference
- Next.js and React guides
- How to use Liveblocks Presence with React
- How to use Liveblocks Storage with React