How to fix “SWC Failed to Load” in Next js?

SWC (Rust-based JavaScript compiler) is used by Next.js for optimization. This article guides you through resolving the “SWC Failed to Load” error, indicating Next.js can’t find the SWC binary for compilation.

The error message (text-based description) indicates that Next.js is unable to locate or load the SWC binary needed for compilation.

• Corrupted dependencies in `node_modules` or `package-lock.json`.
• Incompatible SWC binary for your system architecture (OS, processor).
• Issues with Babel configuration (if using Babel with SWC)

There are several approaches to fix the SWC failed to load error in the Next.js application which are as follows:

1. Reinstall Dependencies

This approach aims to refresh the project’s dependencies.

• Delete the `node_modules` folder and `package-lock.json` file.
• Run these commands to reinstall dependencies.

npm install 
or
yarn install

2. Disable SWC Minification

SWC minification reduces code size. In some cases, it might cause conflicts.

In your `next.config.js` file, add the following code:

module.exports = {
    swcMinify: false,
}

3. Add `.babelrc` File :

Create a `.babelrc` file at the project root.

The`.babelrc` file should contain the following content:

{  
     "presets": ["next/babel"]
}