How to Fix: `NEXT_REDIRECT` internal error making it to the client

The NEXT_REDIRECT error is supposed to be a control-flow signal inside Next.js, not a user-visible failure. When it leaks into the client or shows up as a 500-level network response, it usually means the redirect was triggered in a place where Next.js could not safely convert that internal signal into a proper HTTP redirect response.

This issue commonly appears in App Router projects when calling redirect() during a server action, route transition, or request lifecycle path that is also being handled like a normal error. The result is confusing: the redirect may still happen, but the browser network tab shows an internal NEXT_REDIRECT failure reaching the client.

Understanding the Root Cause

In Next.js, redirect() does not behave like a regular function that returns a redirect object. Internally, it throws a special framework-managed exception. That exception is intercepted by the runtime and translated into redirect behavior.

The problem starts when one of these conditions occurs:

• The redirect is wrapped in a try/catch block that catches and handles it like a normal error.
• The redirect is triggered in code that continues executing and serializing a response after the redirect signal was thrown.
• The client initiates a request expecting normal data, but the server action or route handler emits a redirect signal that is not allowed to complete cleanly.
• A custom abstraction logs or transforms thrown values, causing the internal redirect exception to surface in the network response.

In practical terms, NEXT_REDIRECT is not the real bug. It is the symptom. The real bug is that the framework’s redirect control flow got interrupted, swallowed, or exposed.

In the reproduction linked in the issue, button-triggered flows cause the redirect mechanism to travel through a request boundary where the thrown redirect object is visible in the network tab instead of being fully converted into a redirect response. That is why the current behavior feels like an internal error making it to the client.

Step-by-Step Solution

The fix is to let redirect() escape normally from supported server-side execution paths and avoid catching it unless you explicitly rethrow it.

1. Do not swallow redirect exceptions inside try/catch

If your code looks like this, it can trigger the bug:

"use server"

import { redirect } from "next/navigation"

export async function submitAction() {
  try {
    // business logic
    redirect("/dashboard")
  } catch (error) {
    console.error(error)
    return { error: "Something went wrong" }
  }
}

This is wrong because redirect() throws, and the catch block captures that framework signal.

Use this pattern instead:

"use server"

import { redirect } from "next/navigation"

export async function submitAction() {
  // business logic
  redirect("/dashboard")
}

If you truly need error handling, rethrow redirect-related control flow by keeping the redirect outside the catchable block:

"use server"

import { redirect } from "next/navigation"

export async function submitAction() {
  let success = false

  try {
    // business logic
    success = true
  } catch (error) {
    console.error(error)
    return { error: "Something went wrong" }
  }

  if (success) {
    redirect("/dashboard")
  }
}

2. Redirect from supported server boundaries

Use redirect() only in places where Next.js expects it, such as:

• Server Components
• Server Actions
• Route Handlers
• Some authentication or guard flows running on the server

Example in a Server Component:

import { redirect } from "next/navigation"

export default async function Page() {
  const user = await getUser()

  if (!user) {
    redirect("/login")
  }

  return <div>Dashboard</div>
}

3. For client-side button flows, prefer router navigation when appropriate

If a button click does not need a server-thrown redirect, use client navigation instead of forcing a server action to redirect:

"use client"

import { useRouter } from "next/navigation"

export default function MyButton() {
  const router = useRouter()

  return (
    <button onClick={() => router.push("/dashboard")}>
      Go to dashboard
    </button>
  )
}

This avoids the redirect exception path entirely and is often the cleanest fix for UI-only navigation.

4. If using a Route Handler, return a redirect response explicitly

In route handlers, it is often clearer to return a standard redirect response:

import { NextResponse } from "next/server"

export async function POST() {
  return NextResponse.redirect(new URL("/dashboard", process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL))
}

This is useful when the caller is making a fetch-style request and you want predictable HTTP behavior.

5. Separate expected redirects from actual errors

A strong production pattern is:

• Use redirect() for intentional navigation control.
• Use returned error objects or thrown real exceptions for genuine failures.
• Do not mix both inside the same broad catch block.

Example:

"use server"

import { redirect } from "next/navigation"

export async function loginAction(formData) {
  const user = await authenticate(formData)

  if (!user) {
    return { error: "Invalid credentials" }
  }

  redirect("/account")
}

6. Verify the result in the browser network tab

After refactoring:

• Trigger the action again.
• Open DevTools Network.
• Confirm you no longer see the internal NEXT_REDIRECT payload surfacing as an application error.
• Confirm navigation completes cleanly.

If the issue still appears, inspect whether a wrapper utility, logging layer, or shared action helper is catching thrown values too aggressively.

Common Edge Cases

• Redirect inside a catch block: If you catch a validation or database error and then call redirect() from within the same error-handling path, you can still create confusing flow control. Keep redirects in the normal success path when possible.
• Auth libraries: Some authentication helpers internally throw redirects. If you wrap them in broad error handling, the same leak can occur.
• Fetch callers expecting JSON: If the client calls a route expecting JSON but the server returns a redirect response, the caller may treat it like a failed request unless you handle redirects intentionally.
• Mixed client/server navigation: Triggering a server action only to navigate after success is often overkill. If no server-only decision is needed, use router.push().
• Custom error logging: Tools that serialize all thrown values may expose the internal redirect object in logs or responses.
• Environment-specific behavior: Development mode can make framework internals more visible than production, so always validate the final behavior in both environments.

FAQ

Why does Next.js throw an error for redirect instead of returning normally?

Because redirect() is implemented as framework-level control flow. Throwing allows Next.js to immediately stop rendering or action execution and convert that signal into an HTTP redirect or navigation event.

Is NEXT_REDIRECT always a real application error?

No. Most of the time it is an internal mechanism. It becomes a problem only when it leaks into the client, logs, or network response because something interrupted the normal framework handling.

Should I use redirect() or router.push() for button clicks?

Use router.push() for purely client-side navigation. Use redirect() when the decision must happen on the server, such as auth guards, server actions, or protected data flows.

The key takeaway is simple: treat redirect() as a special server-side escape hatch, not as a regular function call. Once you stop catching or exposing the internal redirect signal, the NEXT_REDIRECT client-facing error disappears and the navigation flow behaves as expected.