How to Add Page Transitions in Next JS App Router

Building smooth user experiences is essential for modern web applications, and nowhere is this clearer than when navigating between pages. If you’re using Next.js’s cutting-edge App Router, adding page transitions not only polishes your frontend but also delights your users. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore how to add page transitions in Next JS App Router, blending performance with stunning visual effects—all while optimizing for SEO and industry best practices.

Why Page Transitions Matter in Next.js Applications

As web performance and UX continue to dominate user expectations, transitions have become more than just decoration. According to a Google UX research study, even subtle animations can improve perceived performance and keep bounce rates low. Adding page transitions in Next JS App Router modernizes your app, enhancing navigational flow and reducing jarring experience between routes.

Moreover, as Next.js continues to dominate the React ecosystem—with Vercel reporting over 2 million Next.js downloads monthly—developers expect up-to-date practices like seamless transitions in their projects.

How Next.js App Router Works

Before diving into implementation, it's valuable to understand how the App Router functions. Introduced in Next.js 13 as a successor to the traditional Pages Router, App Router provides advanced routing capabilities using React Server Components and layouts, facilitating granular control over your app’s structure.

Unlike the Pages directory, App Router encourages modular, nested layouts with server/client component separation, which influences how we create and apply animations to route changes.

Approaches to Adding Page Transitions in Next JS App Router

There’s no shortage of animation solutions in the React ecosystem. For apps using App Router, choosing the right technique depends on your stack, animation requirements, and performance goals. Let’s explore the most robust methods:

1. Leveraging Framer Motion for Page Transitions

Framer Motion is the go-to animation library when it comes to integrating page transitions in Next JS App Router. Its declarative API, excellent performance, and SSR support make it an industry favorite.

Benefits:

Easy integration with React components
Optimized for hardware acceleration
Fine-tuned control over entry and exit animations

Installation:

npm install framer-motion

2. CSS-Based Page Transitions

If you prefer sticking with web standards or need minimal dependencies, consider harnessing CSS transitions with conditional class names and React state. This method is lightweight but less flexible for complex transitions.

3. Transitioning With React Spring or GSAP

While not as popular in Next.js circles as Framer Motion, both React Spring and GSAP offer enterprise-level animation capabilities. These come with more overhead but can support legacy projects or special effects outside the scope of CSS and Framer Motion.

For most modern Next.js builds, Framer Motion combined with App Router’s layout system offers the perfect balance of power and ease.

Implementing Page Transitions in Next JS App Router: Step-by-Step Guide

Let’s walk through the process of adding page transitions in Next JS App Router using Framer Motion and best practices for state management, reusability, and SEO.

Step 1: Organize Your Layout for Transitions

With the App Router, all pages typically inherit from a shared root layout. This structure is ideal for wrapping the animated components and controlling transitions.

Example structure:

/app
  /layout.js (or /layout.tsx)
  /page.js (Home)
  /about/page.js
  /contact/page.js

In your /app/layout.js:

// app/layout.js
export default function RootLayout({ children }) {
  return (
    <html lang="en">
      <body>{children}</body>
    </html>
  );
}

Step 2: Install and Import Framer Motion

Run the following to add Framer Motion:

npm install framer-motion

At the top of any component you wish to animate, import necessary functions:

import { motion, AnimatePresence } from 'framer-motion';

Step 3: Create a Reusable Page Transition Component

To avoid repetition, encapsulate transition logic within a custom component. This modular approach ensures all pages get consistent transitions.

Example: components/PageTransition.js

import { motion, AnimatePresence } from 'framer-motion';
 
export default function PageTransition({ children, key }) {
  return (
    <AnimatePresence mode="wait">
      <motion.div
        key={key}
        initial={{ opacity: 0, y: 10 }}
        animate={{ opacity: 1, y: 0 }}
        exit={{ opacity: 0, y: -10 }}
        transition={{ duration: 0.5, ease: 'easeInOut' }}
      >
        {children}
      </motion.div>
    </AnimatePresence>
  );
}

Step 4: Integrate PageTransition Into Your App Layout

With Next.js App Router, you can grab the current pathname via hooks and use it as a transition key, ensuring animations trigger as routes change.

In /app/layout.js:

import { usePathname } from 'next/navigation';
import PageTransition from '../components/PageTransition';
 
export default function RootLayout({ children }) {
  const pathname = usePathname();
 
  return (
    <html lang="en">
      <body>
        <PageTransition key={pathname}>
          {children}
        </PageTransition>
      </body>
    </html>
  );
}

Note: If you utilize usePathname within a server component, wrap the animated section in a client component for compatibility.

Step 5: Fine-Tune for Performance and SEO

Performance: Framer Motion efficiently handles CSS transforms for hardware acceleration. Still, optimize animations to not block main thread or degrade Time to Interactive (TTI).
SEO: Since Next.js pre-renders pages and supports SSR, page transitions won’t interfere with your markup or affect search bots. Ensure critical content loads quickly and use semantic HTML to help search engines crawl your site effectively.
Accessibility: Provide "prefers-reduced-motion" CSS fallbacks for visitors who turn off animations in browsers.

/* In your global CSS */
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .motion-div {
    transition: none !important;
    animation: none !important;
  }
}

Step 6: Beyond the Basics – Advanced Transitions

Apply more sophisticated transitions such as sliding, scaling, image reveal, or branded color overlays. Industry leaders like Dribbble and Vercel leverage such patterns for memorable experiences.

Example: Sliding Transition

<motion.div
  key={key}
  initial={{ x: 200, opacity: 0 }}
  animate={{ x: 0, opacity: 1 }}
  exit={{ x: -200, opacity: 0 }}
  transition={{ duration: 0.4, ease: 'easeInOut' }}
>
  {children}
</motion.div>

Industry best practices suggest keeping transitions under 500ms to preserve performance. For larger, complex layouts, asynchronously load non-critical resources to maintain speed.

Real-World Use Cases and Inspiration

Modern web apps elevate their navigation with clever page transitions:

E-commerce: Shopify-based brands use smooth fades and slides to guide buyers through checkout, reducing cart abandonment.
SaaS products: Artful transitions emphasize feature discovery and onboarding, increasing retention.
Portfolios & blogs: Subtle effects highlight creativity and make reading more engaging.

“Motion guides attention and helps users build a mental model of the interface,” notes Sarah Drasner, renowned motion design expert.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

When adding page transitions in Next JS App Router, watch out for:

Layout Shifts: Keep DOM structure consistent during transitions to avoid unexpected jumps.
Nested Animations: Ensure parent and child transitions don’t conflict, which can cause flickering.
Accessibility Overlooked: Respect users’ reduced motion settings.
Slow TTI: Avoid heavy JavaScript or excessive re-paints; stick to transform and opacity properties.

Pro Tip: Audit your final site with Lighthouse to confirm no impact on Core Web Vitals.

Future Trends: Animation in React and Next.js

With the momentum behind frameworks like Next.js, the future of frontend will undoubtedly include even tighter animation and transitions integration. Expect:

More frameworks supporting page transitions out-of-the-box
Enhanced server/client animation synchronization, especially with React Server Components
Deeper accessibility tools for motion preferences

Page transitions in Next JS App Router will continue to mature, becoming a standard for professional-grade web experiences.

Conclusion: Make Your Next.js App Shine

Implementing page transitions in Next JS App Router is more than a visual tweak—it’s a strategic advantage for user engagement, brand perception, and even SEO. By applying proven animation libraries like Framer Motion, organizing code with reusable components, and adhering to accessibility and performance standards, you can deliver world-class navigation that stands out in a crowded market.

Whether you’re building a startup MVP or scaling an enterprise dashboard, now’s the time to incorporate page transitions in Next JS App Router. Your users—and your search rankings—will thank you. If you haven’t started already, follow this guide to give your Next.js application the seamless transitions that today’s audiences expect.

Related Resources:

Ready to accelerate your Next.js skills? Try integrating these transitions today, and let us know how it transforms your user experience!