How to Capture Referral Info from URLs in Next.js

Learn how to easily extract referral information from URLs in your Next.js application using the `router.query` method.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/72410660/ asked by the user 'Colin S' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/19087649/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/72410780/ provided by the user 'amin keshavarzi' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/19116877/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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How to Capture Referral Info from URLs in Next.js

In today's digital landscape, creating a referral system can significantly enhance user engagement and customer acquisition. One common method to implement referrals is through unique links. For instance, you may generate a referral URL like:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This will result in a URL that looks something like:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

The challenge arises when you want to extract just the address part from this URL in your Next.js application. In this post, we'll walk through how to effectively retrieve this information using Next.js's built-in routing capabilities.

The Solution

Using Next.js router.query

Next.js provides a straightforward way to access URL parameters through its router object. By utilizing router.query, you can easily pull out referral information like this:

Import the Necessary Hooks: First, you need to import the useRouter hook from Next.js.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Accessing the ref Parameter: Inside your component, you can then call useRouter() to access the router object, and use router.query to get the ref parameter.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

How It Works

Dynamic URLs: When a user visits a URL like http://localhost:3000/?ref='address', Next.js will parse the query string automatically.

Accessibility: The ref query parameter can be accessed through router.query.ref, which would yield the value associated with ref.

Usability: Once you have this value, you can use it in your application logic to track referrals, store in a database, or even provide personalized experiences for users.

Considerations When Using URL Parameters

Decoding: If the referral address contains special characters, make sure to decode it appropriately using decodeURIComponent() if needed.

Default Values: Consider implementing default values or fallbacks in case the ref parameter is not present in the URL.

Conclusion

Using Next.js to extract referral information from URLs is a simple yet effective way to enhance your app's functionality. By leveraging the router.query method, developers can efficiently retrieve and utilize referral links to improve user experience and drive engagement.

Now that you know how to pull referral info in your Next.js application, you can confidently implement a referral system that adds value to your app and your users.

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