# Next.JS

This tutorial will guide you through creating a web client that can interact with a ElevenLabs agent. You’ll learn how to implement real-time voice conversations, allowing users to speak with an AI agent that can listen, understand, and respond naturally using voice synthesis.

## What You’ll Need

1. An ElevenLabs agent created following [this guide](/guides/elevenagents-quickstart)
2. `npm` installed on your local system.
3. We’ll use Typescript for this tutorial, but you can use Javascript if you prefer.

:::callout{intent="note"}
Looking for a complete example? Check out our [Next.js demo on GitHub](https://github.com/elevenlabs/examples/tree/main/agents/nextjs/quickstart).
:::

<img src="../img/site-assets/fdr-prod-docs-files-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elevenlabs.docs.buildwithfern.com/c1bc26a84d079cebcdfe6b4eb602bd27476d5afc92419e9ddfb92b755ca8058e/assets/images/conversational-ai/nextjs-guide-1e16o00.png" alt="">

## Setup

::::steps
:::step{title="Create a new Next.js project"}
Open a terminal window and run the following command:

```bash
npm create next-app my-conversational-agent
```

It will ask you some questions about how to build your project. We’ll follow the default suggestions for this tutorial.
:::

:::step{title="Navigate to project directory"}
```bash
cd my-conversational-agent
```
:::

:::step{title="Install the ElevenLabs dependency"}
```bash
npm install @elevenlabs/react
```
:::

:::step{title="Test the setup"}
Run the following command to start the development server and open the provided URL in your browser:

```bash
npm run dev
```

<img src="../img/site-assets/fdr-prod-docs-files-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elevenlabs.docs.buildwithfern.com/537e2c5609df75b2fd15bf3a37c86da75410de053dfb0c76267a72d7b8d9914a/assets/images/conversational-ai/nextjs-splash-ovnnym.png" alt="">
:::
::::

## Implement ElevenLabs Agents

::::steps
:::step{title="Create the conversation component"}
Create a new file `app/components/conversation.tsx`:

```tsx title="app/components/conversation.tsx"
'use client';

import { useConversation } from '@elevenlabs/react';
import { useCallback } from 'react';

export function Conversation() {
  const conversation = useConversation({
    onConnect: () => console.log('Connected'),
    onDisconnect: () => console.log('Disconnected'),
    onMessage: (message) => console.log('Message:', message),
    onError: (error) => console.error('Error:', error),
  });

  const startConversation = useCallback(async () => {
    try {
      // Request microphone permission
      await navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia({ audio: true });

      // Start the conversation with your agent
      await conversation.startSession({
        agentId: 'YOUR_AGENT_ID', // Replace with your agent ID
        userId: 'YOUR_CUSTOMER_USER_ID', // Optional field for tracking your end user IDs
      });

    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Failed to start conversation:', error);
    }
  }, [conversation]);

  const stopConversation = useCallback(async () => {
    await conversation.endSession();
  }, [conversation]);

  return (
    <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-4">
      <div className="flex gap-2">
        <button
          onClick={startConversation}
          disabled={conversation.status === 'connected'}
          className="px-4 py-2 bg-blue-500 text-white rounded disabled:bg-gray-300"
        >
          Start Conversation
        </button>
        <button
          onClick={stopConversation}
          disabled={conversation.status !== 'connected'}
          className="px-4 py-2 bg-red-500 text-white rounded disabled:bg-gray-300"
        >
          Stop Conversation
        </button>
      </div>

      <div className="flex flex-col items-center">
        <p>Status: {conversation.status}</p>
        <p>Agent is {conversation.isSpeaking ? 'speaking' : 'listening'}</p>
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}
```
:::

:::step{title="Update the main page"}
Replace the contents of `app/page.tsx` with:

```tsx title="app/page.tsx"
'use client';

import { ConversationProvider } from '@elevenlabs/react';
import { Conversation } from './components/conversation';

export default function Home() {
  return (
    <ConversationProvider>
      <main className="flex min-h-screen flex-col items-center justify-between p-24">
        <div className="z-10 max-w-5xl w-full items-center justify-between font-mono text-sm">
          <h1 className="text-4xl font-bold mb-8 text-center">
            ElevenLabs Agents
          </h1>
          <Conversation />
        </div>
      </main>
    </ConversationProvider>
  );
}
```
:::
::::

::::::accordion{title="(Optional) Authenticate the agents with a signed URL"}
:::callout{intent="note"}
This authentication step is only required for private agents. If you’re using a public agent, you can skip this section and directly use the `agentId` in the `startSession` call.
:::

If you’re using a private agent that requires authentication, you’ll need to generate a signed URL from your server. This section explains how to set this up.

### What You’ll Need

1. An ElevenLabs account and API key. Sign up [here](https://elevenlabs.io/app/sign-up).

:::::steps
::::step{title="Create environment variables"}
Create a `.env.local` file in your project root:

```yaml title=".env.local"
ELEVENLABS_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
NEXT_PUBLIC_AGENT_ID=your-agent-id-here
```

:::callout{intent="warning"}
1. Make sure to add `.env.local` to your `.gitignore` file to prevent accidentally committing sensitive credentials to version control.
2. Never expose your API key in the client-side code. Always keep it secure on the server.
:::
::::

:::step{title="Create an API route"}
Create a new file `app/api/get-signed-url/route.ts`:

```tsx title="app/api/get-signed-url/route.ts"
import { NextResponse } from 'next/server';

export async function GET() {
  try {
    const response = await fetch(
      `https://api.elevenlabs.io/v1/convai/conversation/get-signed-url?agent_id=${process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_AGENT_ID}`,
      {
        headers: {
          'xi-api-key': process.env.ELEVENLABS_API_KEY!,
        },
      }
    );

    if (!response.ok) {
      throw new Error('Failed to get signed URL');
    }

    const data = await response.json();
    return NextResponse.json({ signedUrl: data.signed_url });
  } catch (error) {
    return NextResponse.json(
      { error: 'Failed to generate signed URL' },
      { status: 500 }
    );
  }
}
```
:::

::::step{title="Update the Conversation component"}
Modify your `conversation.tsx` to fetch and use the signed URL:

```tsx title="app/components/conversation.tsx"
// ... existing imports ...

export function Conversation() {
  // ... existing conversation setup ...
  const getSignedUrl = async (): Promise<string> => {
    const response = await fetch("/api/get-signed-url");
    if (!response.ok) {
      throw new Error(`Failed to get signed url: ${response.statusText}`);
    }
    const { signedUrl } = await response.json();
    return signedUrl;
  };

  const startConversation = useCallback(async () => {
    try {
      // Request microphone permission
      await navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia({ audio: true });

      const signedUrl = await getSignedUrl();

      // Start the conversation with your signed url
      await conversation.startSession({
        signedUrl,
      });

    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Failed to start conversation:', error);
    }
  }, [conversation]);

  // ... rest of the component ...
}
```

:::callout{intent="warning"}
Signed URLs expire after a short period. However, any conversations initiated before expiration will continue uninterrupted. In a production environment, implement proper error handling and URL refresh logic for starting new conversations.
:::
::::
:::::
::::::

## Next Steps

Now that you have a basic implementation, you can:

1. Add visual feedback for voice activity
2. Implement error handling and retry logic
3. Add a chat history display
4. Customize the UI to match your brand

:::callout{intent="info"}
For more advanced features and customization options, check out the [@elevenlabs/react](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@elevenlabs/react) package.
:::

## Related pages

- [Administration](./administration-index.md)
- [API reference](./api-reference-index.md)
- [Changelog](./changelog-index.md)
- [ElevenAgents](./elevenagents-index.md)
- [ElevenAPI](./elevenapi-index.md)
- [ElevenCreative](./elevencreative-index.md)
- [ElevenLabs Documentation Docs](../index.md)
- [General Troubleshooting FAQ](./troubleshooting-index.md)
- [General Website FAQ](./website-index.md)
- [Help Center](./help-center-2-index.md)

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