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How to Fix Next.js Builds That Fail When the Database Is Unavailable

A Next.js build may query the database while prerendering. Find the failing route, then decide whether to supply data at build time or render it per request on a server-capable deployment.

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If next build fails while a database is offline, first identify which route is querying it and whether that route is being rendered during the build. Keep the page static by making its build-time data available, or move the database read to request-time rendering on a deployment that runs a Next.js server. A static export cannot defer a live query to a server request.

Why can next build need the database?

Next.js may render pages ahead of time. In the App Router, Server Components used for static output run during next build; in the Pages Router, getStaticProps fetches data for static generation. If code in that build-time path queries a database that the build environment cannot reach, prerendering can fail. See the Next.js guides for static exports and the framework’s explanation of a prerender error.

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A prerender error does not by itself prove the database is at fault. It can also result from missing data or other invalid assumptions during prerendering, so start with the first failing route and its underlying error.

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Trace the failing build before changing rendering

  1. Find the first failing route. Read the complete next build output and follow the stack or error details to the route and operation that failed.
  2. Inspect the route’s build-time path. Search its render code, imported modules, and route-generation functions for database reads, ORM initialization, or connection side effects at module scope. Check generateStaticParams and getStaticProps as well: both can participate in build-time generation.
  3. Ask whether the output must be static. If the page can use a snapshot, retain static generation and ensure its required data is available to the build. If it needs live data for each visitor, use a request-time rendering API and a server-capable deployment.
  4. Check where environment variables are provided. Credentials must exist in the environment where the database operation runs. Do not use a NEXT_PUBLIC_ variable for a database secret: Next.js inlines public-prefixed values into client JavaScript at build time. Server-side values may instead be read during dynamic rendering at runtime; consult the environment variables guide and verify behavior against your installed Next.js version.
  5. Get more diagnostic detail if needed. Run next build --debug-prerender to request more detailed error output and source context. The Next.js CLI documentation describes this as a debugging option and warns against deploying builds produced with it.

Choose build-time data or request-time rendering

Approach Use it when Database access happens Main trade-off
Static generation A generated snapshot is acceptable, or the data is intentionally part of deployment. During the build, so the build environment must reach the database or another stable data source. Produces pre-rendered output, but the generated data is captured in the build artifact or its generated props.
Request-time rendering The page needs data when each request is served. At runtime, so the application server must reach the database. Moves the dependency from build infrastructure to runtime infrastructure; it does not remove the availability requirement.

Do not make every route dynamic just to suppress one build failure. Keep routes static when their data can be supplied at build time and snapshot behavior is suitable.

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App Router: defer database-dependent work until a request

For a Server Component that should wait for an incoming request before continuing, use connection() from next/server before the database read:

import { connection } from 'next/server'
import { db } from '@/lib/db'

export default async function Page() {
  await connection()
  const records = await db.record.findMany()
  return <Records records={records} />
}

connection() marks the point below which rendering waits for an incoming request when the page otherwise lacks a Dynamic API. It is unnecessary if the route already uses an API that opts into dynamic rendering. The API was introduced in Next.js 15.0.0-RC and stabilized in 15.0.0; check the documentation and behavior for your project’s version. See the connection() reference.

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Make the whole route dynamic when that is the intended behavior

In versions supporting route segment configuration, export dynamic = 'force-dynamic' from the route:

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export const dynamic = 'force-dynamic'

This forces request-time rendering for the route and changes its caching and rendering behavior as a whole. Prefer the narrowest appropriate dynamic boundary if other parts can remain static. The cited Next.js 15 route segment config documentation describes this option.

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Pages Router: move the read to getServerSideProps

In the Pages Router, put the database read in getServerSideProps to run it on the server for each request:

export async function getServerSideProps() {
  const records = await db.record.findMany()
  return { props: { records } }
}

The database client setup is specific to your project. Do not return credentials or other secrets in props. See the getServerSideProps documentation.

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Check whether your deployment supports the chosen rendering mode

A static export writes HTML and assets without a Next.js runtime server. Its Server Components run during the build, so it cannot postpone a live database read until a visitor’s request. If the page requires per-request database access, deploy it to a target that runs the Next.js server; otherwise, provide its data during the build and render the result statically. The static exports guide explains this constraint.

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After changing the route, inspect the route summary in the build output. Next.js distinguishes static prerendered routes from dynamic server-rendered routes. Confirm that the deployed target supports the runtime behavior the route now needs; the Next.js CLI reference documents build output and options.

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Common fixes that do not solve the underlying problem

  • Changing a framework setting before finding the failing operation: a prerender error can have causes other than database reachability.
  • Moving a query to runtime but deploying only static files: static exports have no server runtime to execute request-time database code.
  • Making a database secret public to get it into the build: public-prefixed environment values are inlined into client JavaScript; keep credentials server-side.
  • Assuming dynamic rendering removes the database dependency: it only shifts the required connectivity from build time to the running application.

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