Next not found in deploying teh >Next project on the Azure App Service

Question

Next not found in deploying teh >Next project on the Azure App Service

Habiba Asif 85

I am trying to publish the app on the azure app service via github actions I am getting the successful deployment in the github actions but I am not seeing my website and getting the following errors.

User's image

I have tried multiple combinations of making the next folder changing workflows, package.json but nothings happening still getting the next not found issue

Anonymous

2025-05-29T07:32:45.0966667+00:00
Hi Habiba Asif,

Your Next.js app may deploy successfully to Azure App Service via GitHub Actions but still fail to load due to the error sh: 1: next: not found.

This happens because:

The server can't find the next CLI during startup

The next package is likely listed under devDependencies instead of dependencies in your package.json

Azure App Service doesn't install devDependencies in production. As a result, when the app tries to run next start, it fails because the next command isn't available.

1). Move next to dependencies

Check your package.json and make sure that next, react, and react-dom are listed under dependencies instead of devDependencies.

"dependencies": { "next": "^13.5.2", "react": "^18.2.0", "react-dom": "^18.2.0" }

Then run npm install

Configure a Node.js app for Azure App Service

2). Set NODE_ENV=production and install all dependencies

If you’re using GitHub Actions, make sure the build step installs all dependencies (not just production ones) or include next in your production dependencies. This way, your workflow will build and deploy correctly. Here’s an example:

- name: Install Dependencies run: npm install - name: Build App run: npm run build - name: Deploy to Azure Web App uses: azure/webapps-deploy@v2 with: app-name: 'your-app-name' slot-name: 'production' publish-profile: ${{ secrets.AZURE_WEBAPP_PUBLISH_PROFILE }} package: .

3). Check your start script in package.json

Here’s how to use the next CLI, and since Azure App Service provides a PORT variable automatically.

"scripts": { "dev": "next dev", "build": "next build", "start": "next start -p $PORT" }

After updating package.json, commit and push your changes to GitHub to start the GitHub Actions redeployment. When deployment is complete, restart your Azure App Service from the Azure Portal to make sure everything is running smoothly.

Deploy to Azure App Service by using GitHub Actions
Habiba Asif 85 Reputation points

2025-05-29T08:47:00.01+00:00

Everything was configured as you described, I changed the start command to "./node_modules/next/dist/bin/next start", It is now not giving the next not found error but it is not also showing me the website I am seeing this

It is showing the website page for split second then show authentication error. I have added teh MS Entra as the auth in my app service and assigned the app registration with the following permissions

This app was successfully deployed once but then it crashed and gave the next not found error since then it was showing next error now it is showing auth error in the previous successful deployment it didn't require the auth
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This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.
Habiba Asif 85 Reputation points

2025-05-30T06:03:19.36+00:00
My issue was next not found I added these in my flow

name: npm install, build, and test run: | npm install npm run build --if-present npm run test --if-present

name: Zip artifact for deployment run: zip release.zip . -r

it also needed to be unzipped after that in your steps so that the node_modules folder is accessible to azure by using

name: Unzip artifact for deployment run: unzip release.zip

I changed my start command to

>./node_modules/next/dist/bin/next start

The Next not found Issue was completely resolved!!

then I got the untrusted hosts Error I added the

>trustHost: true,
above the Providers list in my Auth.js it resolved the untrusted source issue.

My these issues are completely resolved thank you @Anonymous

Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Hi Habiba Asif,

The next: not found error occurs because node_modules is excluded from the deployment zip, and Azure's npm install --production may miss critical dependencies for Next.js.

Please try the updated code below.

# Docs for the Azure Web Apps Deploy action: https://github.com/Azure/webapps-deploy
# More GitHub Actions for Azure: https://github.com/Azure/actions
name: Build and deploy Node.js app to Azure Web App
on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
      - payment
  workflow_dispatch:
jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    permissions:
      contents: read
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Set up Node.js version
        uses: actions/setup-node@v3
        with:
          node-version: '22.x'
      - name: npm install and build
        run: |
          npm ci
          npm run build
      - name: Create deployment package
        run: |
          # Remove dev dependencies but keep the built app
          npm prune --production
          # Create zip with all necessary files including node_modules
          zip -r release.zip . -x "*.git*" "*.github*" "*node_modules/.cache*"
      - name: Upload artifact for deployment job
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: node-app
          path: release.zip
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    needs: build
    environment:
      name: 'Production'
      url: ${{ steps.deploy-to-webapp.outputs.webapp-url }}
    permissions:
      id-token: write
      contents: read
    steps:
      - name: Download artifact from build job
        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: node-app
      - name: Unzip artifact for deployment
        run: unzip release.zip
      
      - name: Login to Azure
        uses: azure/login@v2
        with:
          client-id: ${{ secrets.AZUREAPPSERVICE_CLIENTID_F897BD80 }}
          tenant-id: ${{ secrets.AZUREAPPSERVICE_TENANTID_D28DA4E6 }}
          subscription-id: ${{ secrets.AZUREAPPSERVICE_SUBSCRIPTIONID_C932F75D3F1C41E9A6 }}
      - name: 'Deploy to Azure Web App'
        id: deploy-to-webapp
        uses: azure/webapps-deploy@v3
        with:
          app-name: 'my-app-name-qa'
          slot-name: 'Production'
          package: .

Made key changes to improve deployment, replaced npm install with npm ci for consistent installs, added npm prune --production to strip dev dependencies, updated the zip command to include node_modules, and removed the test step to streamline the process.

Please accept as "Yes" if the answer provided is useful, so that you can help others in the community looking for remediation for similar issues.

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This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

1 additional answer

Your answer

Habiba Asif 85 Reputation points

2025-05-29T08:47:00.01+00:00

Everything was configured as you described, I changed the start command to "./node_modules/next/dist/bin/next start", It is now not giving the next not found error but it is not also showing me the website I am seeing this

It is showing the website page for split second then show authentication error. I have added teh MS Entra as the auth in my app service and assigned the app registration with the following permissions

This app was successfully deployed once but then it crashed and gave the next not found error since then it was showing next error now it is showing auth error in the previous successful deployment it didn't require the auth
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.
Habiba Asif 85 Reputation points

2025-05-30T06:03:19.36+00:00

My issue was next not found I added these in my flow

name: npm install, build, and test run: | npm install npm run build --if-present npm run test --if-present

name: Zip artifact for deployment run: zip release.zip . -r

it also needed to be unzipped after that in your steps so that the node_modules folder is accessible to azure by using

name: Unzip artifact for deployment run: unzip release.zip

I changed my start command to

>./node_modules/next/dist/bin/next start

The Next not found Issue was completely resolved!!

then I got the untrusted hosts Error I added the

>trustHost: true,
above the Providers list in my Auth.js it resolved the untrusted source issue.

My these issues are completely resolved thank you @Anonymous
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

Answer 1

Hi Habiba Asif,

Your Next.js app is running on Azure App Service with Easy Auth (Microsoft Entra authentication) enabled. This is blocking your app’s API call to https://dev-empiric.azurewebsites.net/api/auth/session because the request isn’t authenticated.

The error UntrustedHost: Host must be trusted means your app doesn't trust the Azure domain yet. You'll need to update your app’s authentication settings to recognize the Azure domain as a trusted host.

Your app worked before because Easy Auth wasn't turned on. Once you enabled Microsoft Entra authentication, it started blocking all requests—including those to your NextAuth.js API routes—causing the current authentication issue.

Option 1: Allow NextAuth.js to manage authentication

1). Disable Azure Authentication (Easy Auth):

Go to your App Service → Authentication
Turn off App Service Authentication

2). Update your NextAuth config to trust the Azure domain

// pages/api/auth/[...nextauth].js or app/api/auth/[...nextauth]/route.js
import NextAuth from 'next-auth'
export const authOptions = {
  // your existing config and providers
  trustHost: true,
  trustedHosts: [
    'https://dev-empiric.azurewebsites.net',
    'http://localhost:3000'
  ]
};
export default NextAuth(authOptions);

3). Set environment variables in Azure App Service -> Configuration

NextAuth.js Deployment

NEXTAUTH_URL=https://dev-empiric.azurewebsites.net
NEXTAUTH_URL_INTERNAL=https://dev-empiric.azurewebsites.net
NEXTAUTH_SECRET=your-secret-key

4). Redeploy and Restart the App

Option 2: Keep Azure Authentication enabled

If you need Azure Easy Auth (e.g., for corporate sign-in), you’ll need to configure it so it doesn’t block your API endpoints:

Go to App Service -> Authentication
Set Unauthenticated requests to Allow anonymous requests
Let your app handle login at /api/auth/signin using NextAuth.js

Please see the documents below for your reference.

Azure App Service - Overview of Authentication/Authorization

Configure Entra ID Auth Provider – App Service (workforce)