Next.js Authentication Made Easy with Firebase

Today, I want to share a simple tutorial on how to set up authentication in your Next.js project using Firebase. This guide will walk you through the process step-by-step, ensuring you can quickly implement a secure authentication system.

Step 1: Set Up Firebase Account

Create a Firebase Project

• Start by visiting the https://console.firebase.google.com/. You’ll need to create a Google account if you don’t already have one.
• Once logged in, click “Add Project” to create a new Firebase project.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the project setup. This will serve as the backend for your authentication system.

Enable Authentication

• In the Firebase Console, navigate to the left sidebar, click on “Build,” and then select “Authentication.”
• Click on “Get Started” to initialize the authentication module.
• You’ll see a list of sign-in methods. For this tutorial, we’ll enable Google and Email/Password authentication. Toggle the switch to enable each method.
• For Google sign-in, you’ll need to provide a support email, typically your Firebase Google email.
• Once you’ve configured your sign-in methods, click “Save” to apply the changes.

Set Up Your Application

• Head over to “Project Settings” in the Firebase Console.
• Scroll to the “Your Apps” section and click “Web App.”
• Name your web app. If you plan to use Firebase Hosting, check the corresponding box.
• Select your project and click “Register App.” This will generate SDK settings that you’ll need for your Next.js project.
• Make sure to save these SDK settings securely, as they contain sensitive information.

Step 2: Set Up Your Next.js Project

Create a Next.js Application if you don’t have one yet (Optional)

• Open your terminal and create a new Next.js application by running the appropriate command (e.g., npx create-next-app).
• Navigate into your project directory and install the Firebase package using the command: npm install firebase. This will allow you to integrate Firebase services into your app.

Configure Firebase

• Open your preferred IDE, such as Visual Studio Code.
• Create a new file named firebase.js in your project. This file will hold your Firebase configuration.
• Copy the configuration data from the Firebase Console and paste it into firebase.js. This data includes your API key, project ID, and other essential settings.
• For security reasons, consider using environment variables to store these configurations instead of hardcoding them.

Source code: https://github.com/proflead/auth-next-js-app/blob/fa15aa8d6544937aa480a4308a8676a3310ed0b2/src/app/firebase.js

Create Authentication Context

• Set up an AuthContext to manage the authentication state across your application.

• This context will store information about the current user and provide functions for signing in and out.

• Using context, you can avoid manually passing authentication props through every component.

  
  

Source code: https://github.com/proflead/auth-next-js-app/blob/fa15aa8d6544937aa480a4308a8676a3310ed0b2/src/app/context/AuthContext.js

Wrap Your Application

• In your layout.js file, wrap your entire Next.js application with the AuthProvider component.
• This step ensures that the authentication context is available throughout your app, making it easy for any component to access the authentication state and functions.
• Don’t forget to import the necessary components at the top of your script.

Source code: https://github.com/proflead/auth-next-js-app/blob/fa15aa8d6544937aa480a4308a8676a3310ed0b2/src/app/layout.js

Step 3: Create a Login Component

Build the Login Component

• Create a login component that uses the useAuth hook to access the sign-in function from the authentication context.
• This component will allow users to sign in with Google, providing a seamless authentication experience.
• Ensure the component is user-friendly and clearly indicates the sign-in options available.

Source code: https://github.com/proflead/auth-next-js-app/blob/fa15aa8d6544937aa480a4308a8676a3310ed0b2/src/app/Login.js

Protect Your Pages

• Open page.js and import your login component and context.
• Modify the code to protect your content, ensuring that only signed-in users can access certain pages or features.

Source code: https://github.com/proflead/auth-next-js-app/blob/fa15aa8d6544937aa480a4308a8676a3310ed0b2/src/app/page.js

If you want to see the code of the entire project, please visit https://github.com/proflead/auth-next-js-app

Conclusion

That’s it! You’ve successfully set up authentication in your Next.js application using Firebase.

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Cheers!