sentry-nextjs-sdk

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(), or global-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

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 when pino/winston or log search is needed
⚡ Profiling — continuous profiling; requires Document-Policy: js-profiling header
⚡ 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 nextjs
It handles login, org/project selection, SDK installation, config files (instrumentation-client.ts, sentry.server.config.ts, sentry.edge.config.ts, instrumentation.ts), next.config.ts wrapping, 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 is instrumentation-client.ts.

import * as Sentry from "@sentry/nextjs";
 
Sentry.init({
  dsn: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SENTRY_DSN ?? "___PUBLIC_DSN___",
 
  dataCollection: {
    // To disable sending user data and HTTP bodies, uncomment the lines below. For more info visit:
    // https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/javascript/guides/nextjs/configuration/options/#dataCollection
    // userInfo: false,
    // httpBodies: [],
  },
 
  // 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___",
 
  dataCollection: {
    // To disable sending user data and HTTP bodies, uncomment the lines below. For more info visit:
    // https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/javascript/guides/nextjs/configuration/options/#dataCollection
    // userInfo: false,
    // httpBodies: [],
  },
  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___",
 
  dataCollection: {
    // To disable sending user data and HTTP bodies, uncomment the lines below. For more info visit:
    // https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/javascript/guides/nextjs/configuration/options/#dataCollection
    // userInfo: false,
    // httpBodies: [],
  },
  tracesSampleRate: process.env.NODE_ENV === "development" ? 1.0 : 0.1,
 
  enableLogs: true,
});

Create `instrumentation.ts` — Server-Side Registration Hook

Requires experimental.instrumentationHook: true in next.config for 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
`dataCollection`	`object`	conservative unless set	Fine-grained control over auto-collected categories (`userInfo`, `cookies`, `httpHeaders`, `httpBodies`, `queryParams`, `genAI`). When omitted, the SDK falls back to `sendDefaultPii` (default `false`). Passing the object — even `{}` — flips unset categories to their permissive defaults; opt out per category.
`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`

All Skills > SDK Setup > Next.js SDK