@intlayer/docs 9.0.0-canary.4 → 9.0.0-canary.6

package/docs/en-GB/migration_from_next-i18next_to_intlayer.md

@@ -0,0 +1,355 @@
+---
+createdAt: 2026-06-05
+updatedAt: 2026-06-05
+title: "Migrate from next-i18next to Intlayer | Internationalization (i18n)"
+description: "Learn how to migrate your Next.js app from next-i18next to Intlayer — step by step, without breaking your existing code. Use the @intlayer/next-i18next compat adapter for a zero-disruption transition."
+keywords:
+  - next-i18next
+  - react-i18next
+  - i18next
+  - intlayer
+  - migration
+  - internationalization
+  - i18n
+  - Next.js
+  - React
+  - JavaScript
+slugs:
+  - doc
+  - migration
+  - next-i18next
+history:
+  - version: 9.0.0
+    date: 2026-06-05
+    changes: "Init history"
+author: aymericzip
+---
+
+# Migrating from next-i18next to Intlayer
+
+## Why migrate from next-i18next to Intlayer?
+
+<AccordionGroup>
+
+<Accordion header="Bundle size">
+
+Instead of loading massive JSON files into your pages, load only the necessary content. Intlayer helps **reduce your bundle and page sizes by up to 50%**.
+
+</Accordion>
+
+<Accordion header="Maintainability">
+
+Scoping your application's content **facilitates maintenance** for large-scale applications. You can duplicate or delete a single feature folder without the mental burden of reviewing your entire content codebase. Additionally, Intlayer is **fully typed** to ensure your content's accuracy.
+
+Intlayer is also the solution with the **most active development** in the i18n ecosystem — issues are fixed fast, new framework adapters land regularly, and the core API is continuously refined based on real-world production feedback.
+
+</Accordion>
+
+<Accordion header="AI Agent">
+
+Co-locating content **reduces the context needed** by Large Language Models (LLMs). Intlayer also comes with a suite of tools, such as a **CLI** to test for missing translations, **[LSP](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en-GB/lsp.md)**, **[MCP](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en-GB/mcp_server.md)**, and **[agent skills](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en-GB/agent_skills.md)**, to make the developer experience (DX) even smoother for AI agents.
+
+</Accordion>
+
+<Accordion header="Automation">
+
+Use automation to translate in your CI/CD pipeline using the LLM of your choice at the cost of your AI provider. Intlayer also offers a **compiler** to automate content extraction, as well as a [web platform](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en-GB/intlayer_CMS.md) to help **translate in the background**.
+
+</Accordion>
+
+<Accordion header="Performance">
+
+Connecting massive JSON files to components can lead to performance and reactivity issues. Intlayer optimises your content loading at build time.
+
+</Accordion>
+
+<Accordion header="Scaling with non-dev">
+
+More than just an i18n solution, Intlayer provides a **self-hosted [visual editor](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en-GB/intlayer_visual_editor.md)** and a **[full CMS](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en-GB/intlayer_CMS.md)** to help you manage your multilingual content in **real-time**, making collaboration with translators, copywriters, and other team members seamless. Content can be stored locally and/or remotely.
+
+</Accordion>
+
+</AccordionGroup>
+
+---
+
+## Migration strategies
+
+Since `next-i18next` wraps `react-i18next` and `i18next` under the hood, there are two complementary strategies for migrating to Intlayer:
+
+1. **Compat adapter (recommended for existing apps)** — Install `@intlayer/next-i18next`, `@intlayer/react-i18next`, and `@intlayer/i18next`. These packages expose the **exact same API** as their counterparts but delegate all translation work to Intlayer under the hood. You keep your existing `useTranslation`, `appWithTranslation`, `serverSideTranslations` calls, and Next.js Pages routing unchanged — the only change is the initialisation.
+
+2. **Full migration** — Gradually replace `next-i18next` APIs with native Intlayer hooks (`useIntlayer`) and co-locate content in `.content.ts` files alongside your components.
+
+This guide covers **Strategy 1** first (drop-in compat adapter), then walks through the optional full migration.
+
+---
+
+## Table of Contents
+
+<TOC/>
+
+---
+
+## Quick migration
+
+The following steps are the minimum required to get your existing Next.js Pages Router app running on Intlayer with zero code changes in your pages and components.
+
+<Steps>
+
+<Step number={1} title="Install Dependencies">
+
+Install the Intlayer core packages and the compat adapters:
+
+```bash packageManager="npm"
+npx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+```
+
+```bash packageManager="pnpm"
+pnpm dlx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+```
+
+```bash packageManager="yarn"
+yarn dlx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+```
+
+```bash packageManager="bun"
+bunx intlayer-cli init --interactive
+```
+
+> the `--interactive` flag is optional. Use `intlayer-cli init` if you're an AI agent.
+
+> This command will detect your environment and install the required packages. For example:
+
+```bash packageManager="npm"
+npm install intlayer next-intlayer react-intlayer @intlayer/next-i18next @intlayer/react-i18next @intlayer/i18next @intlayer/sync-json-plugin
+```
+
+```bash packageManager="pnpm"
+pnpm add intlayer next-intlayer react-intlayer @intlayer/next-i18next @intlayer/react-i18next @intlayer/i18next @intlayer/sync-json-plugin
+```
+
+```bash packageManager="yarn"
+yarn add intlayer next-intlayer react-intlayer @intlayer/next-i18next @intlayer/react-i18next @intlayer/i18next @intlayer/sync-json-plugin
+```
+
+```bash packageManager="bun"
+bun add intlayer next-intlayer react-intlayer @intlayer/next-i18next @intlayer/react-i18next @intlayer/i18next @intlayer/sync-json-plugin
+```
+
+> You can safely keep `next-i18next`, `react-i18next`, and `i18next` installed during migration, though you will remove them once aliased.
+
+</Step>
+
+<Step number={2} title="Configure Intlayer">
+
+The `intlayer init` command creates a starter `intlayer.config.ts`. Update it to match your existing locales and point the `syncJSON` plugin at your `next-i18next` message files (usually inside `public/locales`):
+
+```typescript fileName="intlayer.config.ts" codeFormat={["typescript", "esm", "commonjs"]}
+import { Locales, type IntlayerConfig } from "intlayer";
+import { syncJSON } from "@intlayer/sync-json-plugin";
+
+const config: IntlayerConfig = {
+  internationalization: {
+    locales: [
+      Locales.ENGLISH,
+      Locales.FRENCH,
+      Locales.SPANISH,
+      // Add all your existing locales here
+    ],
+    defaultLocale: Locales.ENGLISH,
+  },
+  plugins: [
+    syncJSON({
+      // matches i18next placeholder syntax: {{name}}
+      format: "i18next",
+      source: ({ key, locale }) => `./public/locales/${locale}/${key}.json`,
+      location: "public/locales",
+    }),
+  ],
+};
+
+export default config;
+```
+
+> **`source`** maps a locale and a namespace (`key`) to its JSON file path. **`location`** tells the Intlayer watcher which folder to monitor for changes. The `format: 'i18next'` option ensures that placeholders are parsed correctly for `next-i18next`.
+
+</Step>
+
+<Step number={3} title="Update Next.js Configuration">
+
+Wrap your existing `next.config.ts` (or `.js`) with `createNextI18nPlugin` from `@intlayer/next-i18next/plugin`. This wrapper composes `withIntlayer` **and** injects the `next-i18next` / `react-i18next` / `i18next` → `@intlayer/*` aliases, so your existing `import { useTranslation } from 'next-i18next'` calls are transparently redirected at build time. No source file changes are needed.
+
+```typescript fileName="next.config.ts" codeFormat={["typescript", "esm", "commonjs"]}
+import type { NextConfig } from "next";
+import { createNextI18nPlugin } from "@intlayer/next-i18next/plugin";
+// You can remove the i18n configuration imported from next-i18next.config.js
+// import { i18n } from './next-i18next.config';
+
+const withIntlayer = createNextI18nPlugin();
+
+const nextConfig: NextConfig = {
+  // Intlayer manages the Next.js i18n routing under the hood,
+  // so you don't need to pass the i18n object here anymore.
+};
+
+export default withIntlayer(nextConfig);
+```
+
+> **You no longer need `next-i18next.config.js`.** Intlayer compiles all dictionaries at **build time**, handling locale detection, routing, and dictionary loading seamlessly.
+>
+> Prefer the plain `withIntlayer` from `next-intlayer/server`? It compiles your dictionaries but does **not** add the `next-i18next` / `react-i18next` / `i18next` aliases — you would then rename imports to `@intlayer/*` manually (see Step 4).
+
+</Step>
+
+</Steps>
+
+That's it for the quick migration. Your Next.js app now runs on Intlayer whilst keeping every `useTranslation`, `serverSideTranslations`, and `appWithTranslation` call intact.
+
+> **Typed translation keys — automatic.** Once Intlayer compiles your dictionaries, `useTranslation` and `getFixedT` are typed against your actual content. Keys are autocompleted in your IDE and invalid paths cause TypeScript errors at build time — no extra setup required.
+>
+> ```tsx
+> // Pages Router — 'about' is a registered dictionary key
+> const { t } = useTranslation("about");
+> t("counter.label"); // ✓ autocompleted
+> t("does.not.exist"); // ✗ TypeScript error
+>
+> // getStaticProps / getServerSideProps (i18next instance)
+> const tAbout = i18n.getFixedT(null, "about");
+> tAbout("counter.label"); // ✓ typed
+> ```
+
+---
+
+## Complete migration
+
+The steps below are optional and can be done incrementally. They unlock the full Intlayer feature set: visual editor, CMS, typed content files, AI-powered translation, and more.
+
+<Steps>
+
+<Step number={4} title="Explicit import renaming (optional)" isOptional={true}>
+
+The Intlayer plugin already handles aliasing at the bundler level. If you prefer to make the dependency explicit in your source files, you can rename imports manually:
+
+| Before                                                                         | After                                                             |
+| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `import { serverSideTranslations } from 'next-i18next/serverSideTranslations'` | `import { serverSideTranslations } from '@intlayer/next-i18next'` |
+| `import { appWithTranslation } from 'next-i18next'`                            | `import { appWithTranslation } from '@intlayer/next-i18next'`     |
+| `import { useTranslation } from 'next-i18next'`                                | `import { useTranslation } from '@intlayer/next-i18next'`         |
+| `import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next'`                               | `import { useTranslation } from '@intlayer/react-i18next'`        |
+
+These are **drop-in replacements** — no changes to call signatures, arguments, or return types are required.
+
+</Step>
+
+<Step number={5} title="Enable AI-Powered Translation Automation" isOptional={true}>
+
+Once Intlayer is wired up, use its CLI to fill missing translations automatically:
+
+```bash packageManager="npm"
+# Test for missing translations (add to CI)
+npx intlayer test
+
+# Fill missing translations with AI
+npx intlayer fill
+```
+
+```bash packageManager="pnpm"
+pnpm intlayer test
+pnpm intlayer fill
+```
+
+```bash packageManager="yarn"
+yarn intlayer test
+yarn intlayer fill
+```
+
+```bash packageManager="bun"
+bun x intlayer test
+bun x intlayer fill
+```
+
+Add the AI configuration to `intlayer.config.ts`:
+
+```typescript fileName="intlayer.config.ts" codeFormat={["typescript", "esm", "commonjs"]}
+import { Locales, type IntlayerConfig } from "intlayer";
+import { syncJSON } from "@intlayer/sync-json-plugin";
+
+const config: IntlayerConfig = {
+  internationalization: {
+    locales: [Locales.ENGLISH, Locales.FRENCH, Locales.SPANISH],
+    defaultLocale: Locales.ENGLISH,
+  },
+  plugins: [
+    syncJSON({
+      format: "i18next",
+      source: ({ key, locale }) => `./public/locales/${locale}/${key}.json`,
+      location: "public/locales",
+    }),
+  ],
+  ai: {
+    apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY,
+    // provider: "openai",     // default
+    // model: "gpt-4o-mini",   // default
+  },
+};
+
+export default config;
+```
+
+> See [Intlayer CLI documentation](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en-GB/cli/index.md) for all available options.
+
+</Step>
+
+</Steps>
+
+---
+
+## What you can delete after migration
+
+Once the compat adapter is in place, the following `next-i18next` boilerplate can be removed:
+
+| File / pattern                                  | Why it's no longer needed                                                                                                                    |
+| ----------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `next-i18next.config.js`                        | Intlayer handles routing, dictionary loading, and default locales internally based on `intlayer.config.ts`.                                  |
+| `next-i18next` from `package.json`              | Replaced entirely by `@intlayer/next-i18next` and aliasing.                                                                                  |
+| JSON language bundles (`public/locales/*.json`) | JSON bundles are only needed if you still use the `syncJSON` plugin. Once you migrate to `.content.ts` files you can delete the JSON folder. |
+
+When you are ready to go further, Intlayer **automatically discovers all `.content.ts` and `.content.json` files anywhere in your codebase** (by default, anywhere inside `./src`). You can place a `my-component.content.ts` file right next to your `MyComponent.tsx` and Intlayer will pick it up at build time with no additional configuration — no imports, no registration, no centralised index file needed. This makes co-locating translations with pages and components completely frictionless.
+
+---
+
+## Configure TypeScript
+
+Intlayer uses module augmentation to provide full TypeScript intellisense for your translation keys. Make sure your `tsconfig.json` includes the auto-generated types:
+
+```json5 fileName="tsconfig.json"
+{
+  // ... Your existing TypeScript configurations
+  "include": [
+    // ... Your existing TypeScript configurations
+    ".intlayer/**/*.ts", // Include the auto-generated types
+  ],
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Git Configuration
+
+Add Intlayer's generated directory to your `.gitignore`:
+
+```plaintext fileName=".gitignore"
+# Ignore the files generated by Intlayer
+.intlayer
+```
+
+---
+
+## Go Further
+
+- **Visual Editor** — Manage translations visually in your browser: [Intlayer Visual Editor](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en-GB/intlayer_visual_editor.md)
+- **CMS** — Externalise and manage content remotely: [Intlayer CMS](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en-GB/intlayer_CMS.md)
+- **VS Code Extension** — Get autocompletion and real-time translation error detection: [Intlayer VS Code Extension](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en-GB/vs_code_extension.md)
+- **CLI Reference** — Full list of CLI commands: [Intlayer CLI](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en-GB/cli/index.md)
+- **Intlayer with Next.js (Pages Router)** — Full setup guide for Next.js: [intlayer_with_nextjs_page_router.md](https://github.com/aymericzip/intlayer/blob/main/docs/docs/en-GB/intlayer_with_nextjs_page_router.md)