A Cleaner Way to Handle 404 Pages in Next.js

One small feature in the Next.js App Router that I think more developers should use is notFound().

A lot of codebases still handle missing data like this:

It works, but you're manually handling something that Next.js already provides a built-in solution for.

Instead:

Why I prefer this approach:

• Returns a proper HTTP 404 status

• Automatically renders your not-found.tsx page

• Stops execution immediately

• Keeps page components cleaner

• Follows the standard Next.js pattern

Another nice detail: if you don't create a custom not-found.tsx, Next.js will show its default 404 page automatically.

Small feature, but one of those things that makes a Next.js codebase feel more polished and production-ready.