How To Suppress Build Errors in Next.js with TypeScript

In the fast-paced world of web development, minimizing roadblocks during prototyping or initial integration can be useful. Suppressing build errors is one way to keep your pipeline moving, especially when integrating large third-party libraries. Here’s how it’s commonly done in a Next.js project with TypeScript—and why you need to be careful.

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Suppressing TypeScript Build Errors in next.config.ts or next.config.mjs

Next.js provides a straightforward way to ignore TypeScript build errors by updating the next.config.ts/next.config.mjs file:

// next.config.ts/mjs
export default {
  typescript: {
    ignoreBuildErrors: true,
  },
};

Setting ignoreBuildErrors to true tells Next.js to proceed with the build even if TypeScript finds type errors.

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Disabling Strict Type Checking in tsconfig.json

Another approach is to loosen TypeScript’s strictness in your tsconfig.json:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "strict": false
  }
}

Turning off "strict" disables a suite of advanced type-checking features, which can make builds pass more easily but also reduces the safety and reliability of your codebase.

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When and Why You Might Do This

• Rapid prototyping: When integrating complex packages or fast-tracking proof-of-concept work.
• 3rd-party code: Some external libraries might introduce type errors you can’t immediately address.
• Legacy code: Migrating older codebases where fixing all type errors upfront is impractical.

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Best Practices and Warnings

• Temporary measure: Only suppress errors short-term. Plan to re-enable strict checking before major releases.
• Track suppressed errors: Maintain a list of known issues to avoid introducing new bugs.
• Code review required: All uses of suppressed errors should be reviewed, and a plan for resolution should be in place.

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Conclusion

Suppressing errors can unblock your workflow, but always treat it as a temporary solution. Ultimately, type errors exist to prevent runtime bugs—ignoring them for too long can lead to greater technical debt.

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References:

Next.js Documentation

TypeScript Compiler Options

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This approach helps you move quickly—just remember to address the root issues when possible!

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