How to Fix React Router Not Working on Netlify

Discover why your React Router works on localhost but fails on Netlify and learn how to resolve the issue effectively.
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Why Does React Router Work Locally but Not on Netlify?

Understanding the Routing Structure

Let’s first take a look at the routing structure in the provided code snippet:

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

In this example, the main routes are defined as follows:

The homepage (/) routes to the Dashboard component.

URLs like /messages/:uniqueId route to the EncryptedMessage component.

Any undefined routes are captured and displayed through the NotFound component.

The Problem on Netlify

In SPAs, routing is typically handled client-side by JavaScript. When a user tries to navigate to a subpath, the server does not recognize it because it only sees the initial HTML page. This discrepancy can lead to errors when the routes are not properly configured on a server or hosting service like Netlify.

Solution: Disable Strict Mode

The solution to this problem often lies in the React configuration itself. In many cases, the Strict Mode in your project can interfere with how routes are served. If enabled, it can lead to unexpected behavior on hosting platforms.

Steps to Fix:

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

Disable Strict Mode: You can turn off strict mode by removing the <React.StrictMode> wrapper, like so:

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

Rebuild and redeploy: After making this change, make sure to rebuild your project and redeploy it to Netlify.

Conclusion

By disabling Strict Mode in your React application, you can resolve issues with routing that arise when deploying on platforms like Netlify. If you follow the above steps, your routing should work seamlessly on both local and live environments.

Remember to keep an eye on your routing, especially when deploying your SPAs, to guarantee that users have a smooth experience without hitting dead ends. Happy coding!