Serverless Deployment of a Next.js Application Using AWS

Abstract

This paper presents a practical and scalable approach to deploying a modern web application built with Next.js using Amazon Web Services (AWS) in a serverless environment. The deployment architecture incorporates AWS Amplify for frontend hosting and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD), Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS) for programmatically sending emails from a contact form, and Route 53 for robust Domain Name System (DNS) management. We detail the configuration of each component, design rationale, and encountered challenges. The solution significantly reduces infrastructure overhead while preserving high availability, performance, and maintainability. Performance evaluation and architectural insights demonstrate that the proposed serverless approach is an efficient alternative to traditional deployment methods, especially for startups, research prototypes, and scale-ready applications.

Introduction

Web development is moving toward component-based and reactive frameworks, with Next.js becoming a leading choice for full-stack apps due to its support for:

• Server-Side Rendering (SSR)

• Static Site Generation (SSG)

• Built-in API routes

While platforms like Vercel simplify deployment, enterprise-level apps need greater control, security, and flexibility. This study explores deploying a fully serverless Next.js application on AWS, using:

• AWS Amplify for frontend/SSR deployment and CI/CD

• Amazon SNS for email delivery from forms

• Route 53 for DNS and domain management

II. Motivation

Traditional hosting can be costly, rigid, and vendor-locked. Serverless deployment on AWS enables:

• Scalability

• Cost-efficiency

• Infrastructure-free development

Next.js’s hybrid rendering pairs well with Lambda-based SSR/API via Amplify, optimizing both performance and scalability.

III. Architecture

Three main AWS components:

1. AWS Amplify

   • GitHub integration triggers CI/CD pipelines

   • SSR/SSG pages deployed as Lambda functions

   • Environment variables securely stored

2. Amazon SNS

   • Handles email dispatch on form submission

   • API route triggers Lambda to publish messages to SNS topic

3. Route 53

   • Manages custom domain routing and SSL setup

   • Automates domain verification through Amplify integration

IV. Implementation

• Frontend: Built with Next.js 14+ (optimized images, dynamic routing, SSR)

• Backend: API routes run via serverless Lambda, sanitize inputs, and call SNS

• Security: Minimal IAM permissions (e.g., sns:Publish only); secrets managed in Amplify

• CI/CD: Git-based automation for both preview and production builds

V. Results

• Build Time: ~42 seconds per commit

• Time-To-First-Byte (TTFB):

  • Static pages: ~80ms

  • SSR pages: ~210ms

• Uptime: 99.99% over 30 days (per Amplify metrics)

• Cost: Under $2/month for moderate traffic (eligible for AWS free tier)

Conclusion

This paper has demonstrated a robust, scalable, and cost-efficient approach to deploying modern web applications using a serverless stack on Amazon Web Services (AWS). By integrating Next.js with AWS Amplify, Route 53, and Amazon SNS, the proposed architecture achieves a high degree of modularity, automation, and performance with minimal operational overhead. The frontend is handled seamlessly through Amplify’s continuous deployment pipeline, while backend logic is executed via API routes transformed into Lambda functions. Asynchronous communication is efficiently managed through SNS, enabling real-time notifications without reliance on external APIs. This architecture not only adheres to principles of modern cloud-native design but also presents a practical template for developers aiming to move beyond traditional monolithic deployments. Furthermore, the inclusion of features like scheduled Lambda-based scrapers, server-side rendering (SSR), and content delivery via CDN positions this system as a future-ready solution capable of serving dynamic, global-scale applications. The overall implementation validates the feasibility and effectiveness of serverless architectures for full-stack web development in both academic and enterprise contexts. Future work will extend this architecture with infrastructure-as-code practices, enhanced monitoring, and alternative notification channels, reinforcing its applicability in production-grade environments. The presented deployment model serves as a replicable blueprint for the broader developer community seeking resilient and maintainable cloud-based solutions.

References

[1] Vercel Inc., “Next.js Documentation.” [Online]. Available: https://nextjs.org/docs [2] Amazon Web Services, “AWS Amplify Documentation.” [Online]. Available: https://docs.amplify.aws/ [3] Amazon Web Services, “Amazon Route 53 Developer Guide.” [Online]. Available: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/route53/ [4] Amazon Web Services, “Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS) Documentation.”[Online].Available: ttps://docs.aws.amazon.com/sns/ [5] Amazon Web Services, “AWS Lambda Documentation.” [Online]. Available: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lambda/ [6] M. Young, The Technical Writer’s Handbook. Mill Valley, CA: University Science, 1989. [7] Netlify, “Netlify vs AWS Amplify: A Comparison for Jamstack Hosting,” Netlify Blog, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.netlify.com/blog/ [8] GitHub, “Serverless Examples – AWS Lambda with Node.js.” [Online]. Available: https://github.com/serverless/examples [9] Cloudflare, “Understanding Time to First Byte (TTFB).” [Online]. Available: https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/performance/time-to-first-byte/ [10] Next.jsGitHubRepository.[Online].Available:https://github.com/vercel/next.js

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Sirish Sekhar, Dr. V. Ramesh. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.