proxy.ts is a project-level Next.js convention for running request-time code before routing finishes. It can redirect or rewrite a request, change headers, or return a response. In Next.js 16, the former middleware.ts convention was renamed and deprecated in favor of Proxy; the core functionality remains the same.
What is proxy.ts in Next.js?
Proxy lets you inspect an incoming request and decide what should happen before it reaches the rest of the routing system. Common uses include request-dependent redirects, rewrites for experiments, and changing request or response headers. The official Next.js Getting Started: Proxy documentation describes it as code that runs before a request is completed.
Proxy is a convention, not a special file you create for every route. A project supports one Proxy file. Put proxy.ts or proxy.js at the project root, or in src alongside app or pages. If the project customizes pageExtensions, follow the corresponding extension convention, such as proxy.page.ts, as described in the Proxy API reference.
How do I use proxy.ts?
Export one function, either as a named proxy export or as the default export. This example redirects requests matched at /about to /home:
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import { NextResponse } from 'next/server'
import type { NextRequest } from 'next/server'
export function proxy(request: NextRequest) {
return NextResponse.redirect(new URL('/home', request.url))
}
export const config = {
matcher: '/about/:path*',
}The example uses the named export and an optional config.matcher. NextResponse can redirect, rewrite, set request or response headers, set cookies, or let the request continue; Proxy can also return a standard Response directly. Consult the API reference for the response APIs and details.
Scope execution with a matcher
Matchers specify which paths and request conditions should invoke Proxy. They accept a string, an array of strings, or objects that can specify a source, locale behavior, and has or missing conditions for headers, query parameters, or cookies. Patterns start with /; named path parameters support *, ?, and + modifiers, and regular expressions are supported.
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Matcher values must be statically analyzable constants. A value assembled dynamically is ignored, so keep matcher configuration literal and check the built application’s behavior against the intended paths. Proxy is invoked for routes in the project; narrow its scope deliberately rather than treating the function as route-local code.
Choose Proxy or a static redirect
For redirects that do not depend on request data or complex logic, prefer the redirects configuration in next.config. Proxy is more appropriate when the decision depends on the incoming request or requires request-time logic. Avoid putting slow data fetching in Proxy: it is intended for lightweight routing decisions, and fetch options such as cache, next.revalidate, and next.tags have no effect there.
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Where Proxy runs in the request flow
The documented order is: headers and redirects from next.config.js, then Proxy, then beforeFiles rewrites and filesystem routes. This placement makes Proxy useful for decisions that must happen before those later routing steps. Its matcher determines where it participates.
Security: routing checks are not authorization
Proxy can make an optimistic routing decision, such as redirecting a likely unauthenticated visitor away from a page. It should not be the authoritative security boundary for protected data or actions. Verify authorization in the relevant Server Function, route, or other server-side application code.
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This matters even when a matcher appears to cover a protected page: excluding a path can also skip Server Function calls made on that path. Each Server Function must check authorization itself rather than relying on Proxy to have run.
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Proxy uses the Node.js runtime by default. Its file-level configuration does not accept a runtime option, and Edge is not supported in Proxy. Before upgrading, check whether the deployment and libraries used by the existing middleware depend on a different runtime. The Next.js 16 upgrade guide covers this runtime change.
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What is the difference between proxy.ts and middleware.ts?
In Next.js 16, proxy.ts is the renamed convention for the functionality previously associated with middleware.ts. The official documentation marks Middleware as deprecated in v16.0.0 and says the core functionality remains the same. The change affects the convention and naming, not the idea of running request-time logic before routing completes.
How do I migrate middleware.ts to proxy.ts?
- Rename
middleware.tsormiddleware.jstoproxy.tsorproxy.js, in the same supported project location. - Rename a named
middlewareexport toproxy. If using a default export, keep one exported function and verify it follows the Proxy convention. - Rename configuration flags where applicable; for example,
skipMiddlewareUrlNormalizebecomesskipProxyUrlNormalize. - Optionally start with the official codemod:
npx @next/codemod@canary middleware-to-proxy . - Review the result: confirm matcher paths and conditions, runtime assumptions, and authorization checks in server-side functions. A codemod is a migration aid, not a substitute for those checks.
The rename is documented for Next.js 16. If the project runs another Next.js version, consult the version-specific documentation before applying the convention; the migration guidance is in the Middleware-to-Proxy notice and the Proxy API reference.
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