Next.js static export hosting: deploy out/ in seconds

Q: Why are my next/image images broken after export?

The default image loader needs a server. Add images: { unoptimized: true } to next.config.js, or set a custom loader that points at an image CDN, and build again.

Q: Does my Next.js 404 page work?

Yes. next build writes 404.html from your not-found page (App Router) or pages/404 (Pages Router), and Lobsite serves it for any address that doesn't exist.

Next.js can build a site that needs no server: set output: "export" and next build writes every page as HTML into out/. Lobsite hosts that folder. Run npm run build, then npx lobsite, and the site is live at a *.lobsite.app address with HTTPS. To be clear from the start: this page is about static exports. Server rendering, API routes and middleware need a Node.js host such as Vercel.

How it works

Turn on static export in next.config.js with output: "export" (see below), then run npm run build. The site lands in out/.
Run npx lobsite in the project. It deploys out/, not public/ or .next/. The first deploy needs no account and lasts 6 hours.
Keep it with the claim link, in a free account. After that, each npm run build && npx lobsite updates the same address.

next.config.js for a static export

/** @type {import('next').NextConfig} */
const nextConfig = {
  output: "export",
  images: { unoptimized: true },
};

module.exports = nextConfig;

output: "export" makes next build write out/. The old next export command is gone since Next.js 14; this setting replaced it.
images: { unoptimized: true } is needed if you use next/image: the default loader resizes images on a server per request. With it, images are served as they are; resize them before the build, or use a custom loader.
trailingSlash can stay off. Pages are written as about.html, and Lobsite serves them at /about.

What a static export can't do

The Next.js docs list the features that need a server. The ones people hit most:

API routes and Route Handlers other than static GET ones. Send forms to /_lobsite/forms/contact instead; see forms.
redirects, rewrites and headers in next.config. Move redirects and headers to lobsite.toml, where they apply to every request; the Redirect Generator writes the rules.
Middleware, Server Actions, ISR, and cookies() or headers() in pages.
Dynamic routes without generateStaticParams: every page has to be known at build time.

If your app relies on these, it isn't a static site, and a host that runs Next.js on a server is the right choice.

Only changed files upload

Files are stored by their hash. Redeploying an unchanged site uploads 0 bytes.

Every deploy gets a URL

Preview before going live. Roll back in one click, redirects and all.

HTTPS everywhere

Every site gets a *.lobsite.app address with HTTPS from the first deploy.

Forms that just work

Point a form at /_lobsite/forms/contact. Spam filtering included.

Config in one file

Redirects, headers and forms live in lobsite.toml and travel with each deploy.

Limits you can read

Every limit is published, and every error tells you what to do next.

Next.js hosts compared

	Lobsite	Vercel	Netlify	GitHub Pages
Static export (`output: "export"`)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Server rendering, API routes, middleware	No	Yes	Yes	No
Builds on the server	No: you deploy `out/`	Yes	Yes	In GitHub Actions
Account before the first deploy	No: live 6 hours, then keep it free	Yes	Yes	Yes, and a repository
Forms without a backend	Yes, once the site is in an account	No	Yes	No
Custom domain	Yes, free	Yes	Yes	Yes

Vercel makes Next.js and runs all of it. For a marketing site, a blog or docs built as a static export, Lobsite is the simpler host: one command, only changed files uploaded, a preview URL for every deploy.

Frequently asked questions

Can I host a Next.js app with server-side rendering here?

No. Lobsite serves files, so only a static export works. If pages use getServerSideProps, Server Actions or dynamic rendering, host it where Next.js runs on a server.

Why are my next/image images broken after export?

The default image loader needs a server. Add images: { unoptimized: true } to next.config.js, or set a custom loader that points at an image CDN, and build again.

Does my Next.js 404 page work?

Yes. next build writes 404.html from your not-found page (App Router) or pages/404 (Pages Router), and Lobsite serves it for any address that doesn't exist.

Can I use the App Router with a static export?

Yes. Server Components render at build time; client components run in the browser as usual. Only features that need a request at runtime are off limits.