Part 8: Enhancing Your Next.js App with Dynamic Page Titles
[Page] Routing and Navigation
In our previous exploration, we successfully implemented a custom App component in Next.js to handle common layout elements. Now, let's take our application a step further by adding dynamic page titles. This small yet significant enhancement will improve user experience by clearly displaying the context of each page in the browser tab.
Why Set Page Titles?
Page titles are displayed in browser tabs and bookmarks, and they are crucial for both user navigation and search engine recognition. Without a specific title, the browser defaults to displaying the URL, which isn't very user-friendly. By setting appropriate titles, users can easily identify and switch between different pages.
Step 1: Using the Head Component
To insert elements into the HTML <head> section, we can use Next.js's Head component. This component allows us to add tags like <title> and <meta> dynamically.
Implementing the Head Component in Home Page
Let's modify our index.js file to include a dynamic title for the homepage.
// File: pages/index.js
import Head from 'next/head';
function HomePage() {
console.log('[HomePage] render');
return (
<>
<Head>
<title>My Blog</title>
</Head>
<main>
<h1>My Blog</h1>
</main>
</>
);
}
export default HomePage;Understanding the Code
Head Component: We import
Headfromnext/headand use it to wrap our<title>element.Dynamic Title: By setting
<title>My Blog</title>, we ensure that the browser tab reflects the page's purpose.
Step 2: Adding Titles to Other Pages
With the homepage title set, we can apply the same method to other pages, like the About page.
Implementing the Head Component in About Page
Here's how to update about.js:
// File: pages/about.js
import Head from 'next/head';
function AboutPage() {
console.log('[AboutPage] render');
return (
<>
<Head>
<title>About - My Blog</title>
</Head>
<main>
<h1>About</h1>
</main>
</>
);
}
export default AboutPage;Key Points
Unique Titles: Setting a unique title for each page, such as "About - My Blog", helps users easily identify each page's content.
Dynamic Updates: The
Headcomponent ensures that page titles update dynamically as users navigate through the app, even during client-side transitions.
Additional Enhancements
While we're focused on titles, remember that the Head component can also include other elements like <meta> tags. For example, adding a meta description can be beneficial for SEO:
<Head>
<title>About - My Blog</title>
<meta name="description" content="Learn more about us on our About page." />
</Head>Conclusion
The Head component in Next.js is a powerful tool for managing the content of your HTML document's head section. By setting dynamic titles, you enhance both usability and search engine friendliness. Implementing page-specific titles is a simple yet effective way to improve the overall user experience of your application. Enjoy coding!
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