How to install sentry-nextjs-sdk
npx skills add https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-for-ai --skill sentry-nextjs-sdkFull instructions (SKILL.md)
Source of truth, from getsentry/sentry-for-ai.
name: sentry-nextjs-sdk description: Full Sentry SDK setup for Next.js. Use when asked to "add Sentry to Next.js", "install @sentry/nextjs", or configure error monitoring, tracing, session replay, logging, profiling, AI monitoring, or crons for Next.js applications. Supports Next.js 13+ with App Router and Pages Router. license: Apache-2.0 category: sdk-setup parent: sentry-sdk-setup disable-model-invocation: true
All Skills > SDK Setup > Next.js SDK
Sentry Next.js SDK
Opinionated wizard that scans your Next.js project and guides you through complete Sentry setup across all three runtimes: browser, Node.js server, and Edge.
Invoke This Skill When
- User asks to "add Sentry to Next.js" or "set up Sentry" in a Next.js app
- User wants to install or configure
@sentry/nextjs - User wants error monitoring, tracing, session replay, logging, or profiling for Next.js
- User asks about
instrumentation.ts,withSentryConfig(), orglobal-error.tsx - User wants to capture server actions, server component errors, or edge runtime errors
Note: SDK versions and APIs below reflect current Sentry docs at time of writing (
@sentry/nextjs≥8.28.0). Always verify against docs.sentry.io/platforms/javascript/guides/nextjs/ before implementing.
Phase 1: Detect
Run these commands to understand the project before making any recommendations:
# Detect Next.js version and existing Sentry
cat package.json | grep -E '"next"|"@sentry/'
# Detect router type (App Router vs Pages Router)
ls src/app app src/pages pages 2>/dev/null
# Check for existing Sentry config files
ls instrumentation.ts instrumentation-client.ts sentry.server.config.ts sentry.edge.config.ts 2>/dev/null
ls src/instrumentation.ts src/instrumentation-client.ts 2>/dev/null
# Check next.config
ls next.config.ts next.config.js next.config.mjs 2>/dev/null
# Check for existing error boundaries
find . -name "global-error.tsx" -o -name "_error.tsx" 2>/dev/null | grep -v node_modules
# Check build tool
cat package.json | grep -E '"turbopack"|"webpack"'
# Check for logging libraries
cat package.json | grep -E '"pino"|"winston"|"bunyan"'
# Check for companion backend
ls ../backend ../server ../api 2>/dev/null
cat ../go.mod ../requirements.txt ../Gemfile 2>/dev/null | head -3
What to determine:
| Question | Impact |
|---|---|
| Next.js version? | 13+ required; 15+ needed for Turbopack support |
| App Router or Pages Router? | Determines error boundary files needed (global-error.tsx vs _error.tsx) |
@sentry/nextjs already present? | Skip install, go to feature config |
Existing instrumentation.ts? | Merge Sentry into it rather than replace |
| Turbopack in use? | Tree-shaking in withSentryConfig is webpack-only |
| Logging library detected? | Recommend Sentry Logs integration |
| Backend directory found? | Trigger Phase 4 cross-link suggestion |
Phase 2: Recommend
Present a concrete recommendation based on what you found. Don't ask open-ended questions — lead with a proposal:
Recommended (core coverage):
- ✅ Error Monitoring — always; captures server errors, client errors, server actions, and unhandled promise rejections
- ✅ Tracing — server-side request tracing + client-side navigation spans across all runtimes
- ✅ Session Replay — recommended for user-facing apps; records sessions around errors
Optional (enhanced observability):
- ⚡ Logging — structured logs via
Sentry.logger.*; recommend whenpino/winstonor log search is needed - ⚡ Profiling — continuous profiling; requires
Document-Policy: js-profilingheader - ⚡ AI Monitoring — OpenAI, Vercel AI SDK, Anthropic; recommend when AI/LLM calls detected
- ⚡ Crons — detect missed/failed scheduled jobs; recommend when cron patterns detected
- ⚡ Metrics — custom metrics via
Sentry.metrics.*; recommend when custom KPIs or business metrics needed
Recommendation logic:
| Feature | Recommend when... |
|---|---|
| Error Monitoring | Always — non-negotiable baseline |
| Tracing | Always for Next.js — server route tracing + client navigation are high-value |
| Session Replay | User-facing app, login flows, or checkout pages |
| Logging | App uses structured logging or needs log-to-trace correlation |
| Profiling | Performance-critical app; client sets Document-Policy: js-profiling |
| AI Monitoring | App makes OpenAI, Vercel AI SDK, or Anthropic calls |
| Crons | App has Vercel Cron jobs, scheduled API routes, or node-cron usage |
| Metrics | App needs custom counters, gauges, or histograms via Sentry.metrics.* |
Propose: "I recommend setting up Error Monitoring + Tracing + Session Replay. Want me to also add Logging or Profiling?"
Phase 3: Guide
Option 1: Wizard (Recommended)
You need to run this yourself — the wizard opens a browser for login and requires interactive input that the agent can't handle. Copy-paste into your terminal:
npx @sentry/wizard@latest -i nextjsIt handles login, org/project selection, SDK installation, config files (
instrumentation-client.ts,sentry.server.config.ts,sentry.edge.config.ts,instrumentation.ts),next.config.tswrapping, source map upload, and adds a/sentry-example-page.Once it finishes, come back and skip to Verification.
If the user skips the wizard, proceed with Option 2 (Manual Setup) below.
Option 2: Manual Setup
Install
npm install @sentry/nextjs --save
Create instrumentation-client.ts — Browser / Client Runtime
Older docs used
sentry.client.config.ts— the current pattern isinstrumentation-client.ts.
import * as Sentry from "@sentry/nextjs";
Sentry.init({
dsn: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SENTRY_DSN ?? "___PUBLIC_DSN___",
sendDefaultPii: true,
// 100% in dev, 10% in production
tracesSampleRate: process.env.NODE_ENV === "development" ? 1.0 : 0.1,
// Session Replay: 10% of all sessions, 100% of sessions with errors
replaysSessionSampleRate: 0.1,
replaysOnErrorSampleRate: 1.0,
enableLogs: true,
integrations: [
Sentry.replayIntegration(),
// Optional: user feedback widget
// Sentry.feedbackIntegration({ colorScheme: "system" }),
],
});
// Hook into App Router navigation transitions (App Router only)
export const onRouterTransitionStart = Sentry.captureRouterTransitionStart;
Create sentry.server.config.ts — Node.js Server Runtime
import * as Sentry from "@sentry/nextjs";
Sentry.init({
dsn: process.env.SENTRY_DSN ?? "___DSN___",
sendDefaultPii: true,
tracesSampleRate: process.env.NODE_ENV === "development" ? 1.0 : 0.1,
// Attach local variable values to stack frames
includeLocalVariables: true,
enableLogs: true,
});
Create sentry.edge.config.ts — Edge Runtime
import * as Sentry from "@sentry/nextjs";
Sentry.init({
dsn: process.env.SENTRY_DSN ?? "___DSN___",
sendDefaultPii: true,
tracesSampleRate: process.env.NODE_ENV === "development" ? 1.0 : 0.1,
enableLogs: true,
});
Create instrumentation.ts — Server-Side Registration Hook
Requires
experimental.instrumentationHook: trueinnext.configfor Next.js < 14.0.4. It's stable in 14.0.4+.
import * as Sentry from "@sentry/nextjs";
export async function register() {
if (process.env.NEXT_RUNTIME === "nodejs") {
await import("./sentry.server.config");
}
if (process.env.NEXT_RUNTIME === "edge") {
await import("./sentry.edge.config");
}
}
// Automatically captures all unhandled server-side request errors
// Requires @sentry/nextjs >= 8.28.0
export const onRequestError = Sentry.captureRequestError;
Runtime dispatch:
NEXT_RUNTIME | Config file loaded |
|---|---|
"nodejs" | sentry.server.config.ts |
"edge" | sentry.edge.config.ts |
| (client bundle) | instrumentation-client.ts (Next.js handles this directly) |
App Router: Create app/global-error.tsx
This catches errors in the root layout and React render errors:
"use client";
import * as Sentry from "@sentry/nextjs";
import NextError from "next/error";
import { useEffect } from "react";
export default function GlobalError({
error,
}: {
error: Error & { digest?: string };
}) {
useEffect(() => {
Sentry.captureException(error);
}, [error]);
return (
<html>
<body>
<NextError statusCode={0} />
</body>
</html>
);
}
Pages Router: Update pages/_error.tsx
import * as Sentry from "@sentry/nextjs";
import type { NextPageContext } from "next";
import NextErrorComponent from "next/error";
type ErrorProps = { statusCode: number };
export default function CustomError({ statusCode }: ErrorProps) {
return <NextErrorComponent statusCode={statusCode} />;
}
CustomError.getInitialProps = async (ctx: NextPageContext) => {
await Sentry.captureUnderscoreErrorException(ctx);
return NextErrorComponent.getInitialProps(ctx);
};
Wrap next.config.ts with withSentryConfig()
import type { NextConfig } from "next";
import { withSentryConfig } from "@sentry/nextjs";
const nextConfig: NextConfig = {
// your existing Next.js config
};
export default withSentryConfig(nextConfig, {
org: "___ORG_SLUG___",
project: "___PROJECT_SLUG___",
// Source map upload auth token (see Source Maps section below)
authToken: process.env.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN,
// Upload wider set of client source files for better stack trace resolution
widenClientFileUpload: true,
// Create a proxy API route to bypass ad-blockers
tunnelRoute: "/monitoring",
// Suppress non-CI output
silent: !process.env.CI,
});
Exclude Tunnel Route from Middleware
If you have middleware.ts, exclude the tunnel path from auth or redirect logic:
// middleware.ts
export const config = {
matcher: [
// Exclude monitoring route, Next.js internals, and static files
"/((?!monitoring|_next/static|_next/image|favicon.ico).*)",
],
};
Source Maps Setup
withSentryConfig uploads source maps on production builds so stack traces show your original code instead of minified output. The SDK-specific wiring is the authToken (plus widenClientFileUpload, which improves client stack traces) in next.config.ts:
withSentryConfig(nextConfig, {
org: "my-org",
project: "my-project",
authToken: process.env.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN, // from CI env or a gitignored .env.sentry-build-plugin
widenClientFileUpload: true,
});
SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN is a build-time secret, distinct from the DSN. For creating the token, wiring it into CI, and troubleshooting minified traces, see sentry-source-maps.
Source maps are uploaded automatically on every next build.
For Each Agreed Feature
Load the corresponding reference file and follow its steps:
| Feature | Reference file | Load when... |
|---|---|---|
| Error Monitoring | references/error-monitoring.md | Always (baseline) — App Router error boundaries, Pages Router _error.tsx, server action wrapping |
| Tracing | references/tracing.md | Server-side request tracing, client navigation, distributed tracing, tracePropagationTargets |
| Session Replay | references/session-replay.md | User-facing app; privacy masking, canvas recording, network capture |
| Logging | references/logging.md | Structured logs, Sentry.logger.*, log-to-trace correlation |
| Profiling | references/profiling.md | Continuous profiling, Document-Policy header, nodeProfilingIntegration |
| AI Monitoring | references/ai-monitoring.md | App uses OpenAI, Vercel AI SDK, or Anthropic |
| Crons | references/crons.md | Vercel Cron, scheduled API routes, node-cron |
| Metrics | references/metrics.md | Custom counters, gauges, distributions via Sentry.metrics.* |
For each feature: read the reference file, follow its steps exactly, and verify before moving on.
Configuration Reference
Sentry.init() Options
| Option | Type | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
dsn | string | — | Required. Use NEXT_PUBLIC_SENTRY_DSN for client, SENTRY_DSN for server |
tracesSampleRate | number | — | 0–1; 1.0 in dev, 0.1 in prod recommended |
replaysSessionSampleRate | number | 0.1 | Fraction of all sessions recorded |
replaysOnErrorSampleRate | number | 1.0 | Fraction of error sessions recorded |
sendDefaultPii | boolean | false | Include IP, request headers in events |
includeLocalVariables | boolean | false | Attach local variable values to stack frames (server only) |
enableLogs | boolean | false | Enable Sentry Logs product |
environment | string | auto | "production", "staging", etc. |
release | string | auto | Set to commit SHA or version tag |
debug | boolean | false | Log SDK activity to console |
withSentryConfig() Options
| Option | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
org | string | Sentry organization slug |
project | string | Sentry project slug |
authToken | string | Source map upload token (SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN) |
widenClientFileUpload | boolean | Upload more client files for better stack traces |
tunnelRoute | string | API route path for ad-blocker bypass (e.g. "/monitoring") |
silent | boolean | Suppress build output (!process.env.CI recommended) |
webpack.treeshake.* | object | Tree-shake SDK features (webpack only, not Turbopack) |
Environment Variables
| Variable | Runtime | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
NEXT_PUBLIC_SENTRY_DSN | Client | DSN for browser Sentry init (public) |
SENTRY_DSN | Server / Edge | DSN for server/edge Sentry init |
SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN | Build | Source map upload auth token (secret) |
SENTRY_ORG | Build | Org slug (alternative to org in config) |
SENTRY_PROJECT | Build | Project slug (alternative to project in config) |
SENTRY_RELEASE | Server | Release version string (auto-detected from git) |
NEXT_RUNTIME | Server / Edge | "nodejs" or "edge" (set by Next.js internally) |
Verification
After wizard or manual setup, verify Sentry is working:
// Add temporarily to a server action or API route, then remove
import * as Sentry from "@sentry/nextjs";
throw new Error("Sentry test error — delete me");
// or
Sentry.captureException(new Error("Sentry test error — delete me"));
Then check your Sentry Issues dashboard — the error should appear within ~30 seconds.
Verification checklist:
| Check | How |
|---|---|
| Client errors captured | Throw in a client component, verify in Sentry |
| Server errors captured | Throw in a server action or API route |
| Edge errors captured | Throw in middleware or edge route handler |
| Source maps working | Check stack trace shows readable file names |
| Session Replay working | Check Replays tab in Sentry dashboard |
Phase 4: Cross-Link
After completing Next.js setup, check for companion services:
# Check for backend services in adjacent directories
ls ../backend ../server ../api ../services 2>/dev/null
# Check for backend language indicators
cat ../go.mod 2>/dev/null | head -3
cat ../requirements.txt ../pyproject.toml 2>/dev/null | head -3
cat ../Gemfile 2>/dev/null | head -3
cat ../pom.xml ../build.gradle 2>/dev/null | head -3
If a backend is found, suggest the matching SDK skill:
| Backend detected | Suggest skill |
|---|---|
Go (go.mod) | sentry-go-sdk |
Python (requirements.txt, pyproject.toml) | sentry-python-sdk |
Ruby (Gemfile) | sentry-ruby-sdk |
Java/Kotlin (pom.xml, build.gradle) | See docs.sentry.io/platforms/java/ |
| Node.js (Express, Fastify, Hapi) | @sentry/node — see docs.sentry.io/platforms/javascript/guides/express/ |
Connecting frontend and backend with the same DSN or linked projects enables distributed tracing — stack traces that span your browser, Next.js server, and backend API in a single trace view.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Events not appearing | DSN misconfigured or debug: false hiding errors | Set debug: true temporarily; check browser network tab for requests to sentry.io |
| Stack traces show minified code | Source maps not uploading | Check SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN is set; run next build and look for "Source Maps" in build output |
onRequestError not firing | SDK version < 8.28.0 | Upgrade: npm install @sentry/nextjs@latest |
| Edge runtime errors missing | sentry.edge.config.ts not loaded | Verify instrumentation.ts imports it when NEXT_RUNTIME === "edge" |
| Tunnel route returns 404 | tunnelRoute set but Next.js route missing | The plugin creates it automatically; check you ran next build after adding tunnelRoute |
withSentryConfig tree-shaking breaks build | Turbopack in use | Tree-shaking options only work with webpack; remove webpack.treeshake options when using Turbopack |
global-error.tsx not catching errors | Missing "use client" directive | Add "use client" as the very first line of global-error.tsx |
| Session Replay not recording | replayIntegration() missing from client init | Add Sentry.replayIntegration() to integrations in instrumentation-client.ts |
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