How to create background jobs with Next.js and Inngest

In this article, we will discuss how to create background jobs with Next.js and Inngest. Background jobs are essential for handling long-running tasks such as data processing, file uploads, and sending emails without affecting the user experience of the application.

Step 1: Install Inngest

First, you need to install Inngest, which is a job queue and scheduler for Node.js. You can install it using npm or yarn:


npm install inngest


yarn add inngest


Step 2: Set up Inngest in Next.js

Next, you need to set up Inngest in your Next.js project. You can create a new file called jobs.js and import Inngest:


import { createQueue } from 'inngest';


Then, you can create a new queue for background jobs:


const queue = createQueue('background-jobs');


Step 3: Define background job functions

Next, you can define functions for your background jobs. For example, you can create a function to process data:


const processData = async (data) => {
// Process data here
};


Step 4: Enqueue background jobs

Now, you can enqueue background jobs using the queue you created earlier. For example, you can enqueue the processData function:


queue.addJob(processData, { data: 'some data' });


Step 5: Start the Inngest worker

Finally, you need to start the Inngest worker in your Next.js project to process the enqueued background jobs:


import { startWorker } from 'inngest';


startWorker('background-jobs');


That’s it! You have now successfully created and processed background jobs with Next.js and Inngest.