How to Load NextJS Images from an External URL ?

Last Updated : 17 Jul, 2024

In Next.js, loading external URL images is important because it allows developers to incorporate dynamic content and enrich user experiences by displaying images from various sources seamlessly within their applications.

In this article, we will explore two different approaches to loading NextJS Images from an External URL, which are mentioned below.

Table of Content

Using next/Image Component
Using an <img> Tag

Steps to Create the Next.js Application

Step 1: Set up React Project using the Command:

npx create-next-app external-image

Step 2: Navigate to the Project folder using:

cd external-image

Project Structure:

The updated dependencies in package.json file will look like:

"dependencies": {
    "react": "^18",
    "react-dom": "^18",
    "next": "14.2.1"
}

Approach 1: Using next/Image Component

To load images from an external URL using Next.js' next/image component. The Image component in nextjs accepts src url, alt, height, width and other attributes link image. Just add the url and it will render the required image.

Example: The below example uses the next/Image Component to Load NextJS Images from an External URL.

JavaScript

//page.js

"use client";
import React, { useState } from "react";
import Image from "next/image";
const Page = () => {
    const [showImage, setShowImage] = useState(false);
    const btnFn = () => {
        setShowImage(true);
    };
    return (
        <div>
            <h1>Approach 1: Using next/Image Component</h1>
            {!showImage && <button onClick={btnFn}>Load Image</button>}
            {showImage && (
                <Image
                    src=
"https://media.geeksforgeeks.org/wp-content/uploads/20230816191453/gfglogo.png"
                    alt="External Image"
                    unoptimized
                    width={300}
                    height={200}
                />
            )}
        </div>
    );
};
export default Page;

Step to run the application: Now run the application with the below command:

npm run dev

Output:

Approach 2: Using an <img> Tag

In this approach, we are using React state (useState) to manage the image source (imageSrc) dynamically based on user button clicks, allowing the loading of external images into a <img> tag within a Next.js application.

Example: The below example uses the <img> Tag to Load NextJS Images from an External URL.

JavaScript

//page.js

'use client'
import React, { useState } from 'react'

const Page = () => {
    const [imageSrc, setImageSrc] = useState('')
    const loadFn = imageUrl => {
        setImageSrc(imageUrl)
    }
    
    return (
        <div>
            <h1>Using an &lt;img&gt; Tag</h1>
            <div>
                <button
                    onClick={() =>
                        loadFn(
'https://media.geeksforgeeks.org/wp-content/uploads/20230816191453/gfglogo.png'
                        )
                    }
                >
                    Load Image 1
                </button>
                <button
                    onClick={() =>
                        loadFn(
'https://media.geeksforgeeks.org/wp-content/uploads/20240419201444/scalaPng.png'
                        )
                    }
                >
                    Load Image 2
                </button>
            </div>
            {imageSrc && (
                <div>
                    <h3>Loaded Image:</h3>
                    <img src={imageSrc} alt='External Image' width={300} height={200} />
                </div>
            )}
        </div>
    )
}
export default Page;