---
meta:
  title: "Get started with React Flow using Liveblocks and Next.js"
  parentTitle: "Quickstart"
  description:
    "Learn how to add a collaborative React Flow diagram using Liveblocks and
    Next.js."
---

Liveblocks is a realtime collaboration infrastructure for building performant
collaborative experiences. Follow the following steps to start adding
collaboration to your Next.js application using the APIs from the
[`@liveblocks/react-flow`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react-flow) package.

## Quickstart

<Steps>
  <Step>
    <StepTitle>Install Liveblocks and React Flow</StepTitle>
    <StepContent>

      Every Liveblocks package should use the same version.

      ```bash trackEvent="install_liveblocks"
      npm install @liveblocks/client @liveblocks/react @liveblocks/react-ui @liveblocks/react-flow @xyflow/react
      ```

    </StepContent>

  </Step>
  <Step>
    <StepTitle>Initialize the `liveblocks.config.ts` file</StepTitle>
    <StepContent>

      We can use this file later to [define types for our application](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react#Typing-your-data).

      ```bash
      npx create-liveblocks-app@latest --init --framework react
      ```

    </StepContent>

  </Step>
  <Step>
    <StepTitle>Create a Liveblocks room</StepTitle>
    <StepContent>

      Liveblocks uses the concept of rooms, separate virtual spaces where people
      collaborate, and to create a realtime experience, multiple users must
      be connected to the same room. When using Next.js’ `/app` router,
      we recommend creating your room in a `Room.tsx` file in the same directory
      as your current route.

      Set up a Liveblocks client with
      [`LiveblocksProvider`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react#LiveblocksProvider),
      join a room with [`RoomProvider`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react#RoomProvider),
      and use [`ClientSideSuspense`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react#ClientSideSuspense)
      to add a loading spinner to your app.

      ```tsx file="app/Room.tsx"
      "use client";

      import { ReactNode } from "react";
      import {
        LiveblocksProvider,
        RoomProvider,
        ClientSideSuspense,
      } from "@liveblocks/react/suspense";

      export function Room({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
        return (
          // +++
          <LiveblocksProvider publicApiKey={"{{PUBLIC_KEY}}"}>
            <RoomProvider id="my-room">
              <ClientSideSuspense fallback={<div>Loading…</div>}>
                {children}
              </ClientSideSuspense>
            </RoomProvider>
          </LiveblocksProvider>
          // +++
        );
      }
      ```

  </StepContent>

</Step>
<Step>
  <StepTitle>Add the Liveblocks room to your page</StepTitle>
  <StepContent>

    After creating your room file, it’s time to join it. Import
    your room into your `page.tsx` file, and place
    your collaborative app components inside it.

    ```tsx file="app/page.tsx"
    import { Room } from "./Room";
    import { Flow } from "./Flow";

    export default function Page() {
      return (
        // +++
        <Room>
          <Flow />
        </Room>
        // +++
      );
    }
    ```

  </StepContent>

</Step>
<Step>
  <StepTitle>Set up the collaborative React Flow diagram</StepTitle>
  <StepContent>

    Now that Liveblocks is set up, integrate React Flow in the `Flow.tsx` file.
    [`useLiveblocksFlow`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react-flow#useLiveblocksFlow)
    keeps nodes and edges in sync across clients using Liveblocks Storage.

    ```tsx file="app/Flow.tsx"
    "use client";

    import { ReactFlow } from "@xyflow/react";
    import { useLiveblocksFlow } from "@liveblocks/react-flow";
    import "@xyflow/react/dist/style.css";

    export function Flow() {
      const {
        nodes,
        edges,
        onNodesChange,
        onEdgesChange,
        onConnect,
        onDelete,
      } = useLiveblocksFlow({
        suspense: true,
        nodes: {
          initial: [
            {
              id: "1",
              type: "input",
              data: { label: "Start" },
              position: { x: 250, y: 0 },
            },
            {
              id: "2",
              data: { label: "Process" },
              position: { x: 100, y: 110 },
            },
            {
              id: "3",
              type: "output",
              data: { label: "End" },
              position: { x: 250, y: 220 },
            },
          ],
        },
        edges: {
          initial: [
            { id: "e1-2", source: "1", target: "2" },
            { id: "e2-3", source: "2", target: "3" },
          ],
        },
      });

      return (
        <div style={{ width: "100%", height: "100vh" }}>
          <ReactFlow
            nodes={nodes}
            edges={edges}
            onNodesChange={onNodesChange}
            onEdgesChange={onEdgesChange}
            onConnect={onConnect}
            onDelete={onDelete}
          />
        </div>
      );
    }
    ```

</StepContent>

</Step>
<Step>
  <StepTitle>Add multiplayer cursors</StepTitle>
  <StepContent>

    To show where collaborators are pointing in the diagram, render [`Cursors`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react-flow#Cursors) inside `ReactFlow`.
    Also include the Liveblocks styles in addition to the React Flow ones.

    ```tsx file="app/Flow.tsx"
    "use client";

    // +++
    import { ReactFlow } from "@xyflow/react";
    import { useLiveblocksFlow, Cursors } from "@liveblocks/react-flow";
    // +++
    import "@xyflow/react/dist/style.css";
    // +++
    import "@liveblocks/react-ui/styles.css";
    import "@liveblocks/react-flow/styles.css";
    // +++

    export function Flow() {
      const {
        nodes,
        edges,
        onNodesChange,
        onEdgesChange,
        onConnect,
        onDelete,
      } = useLiveblocksFlow({
        suspense: true,
        nodes: {
          initial: [
            {
              id: "1",
              type: "input",
              data: { label: "Start" },
              position: { x: 250, y: 0 },
            },
            {
              id: "2",
              data: { label: "Process" },
              position: { x: 100, y: 110 },
            },
            {
              id: "3",
              type: "output",
              data: { label: "End" },
              position: { x: 250, y: 220 },
            },
          ],
        },
        edges: {
          initial: [
            { id: "e1-2", source: "1", target: "2" },
            { id: "e2-3", source: "2", target: "3" },
          ],
        },
      });

      return (
        <div style={{ width: "100%", height: "100vh" }}>
          <ReactFlow
            nodes={nodes}
            edges={edges}
            onNodesChange={onNodesChange}
            onEdgesChange={onEdgesChange}
            onConnect={onConnect}
            onDelete={onDelete}
          >
            // +++
            <Cursors />
            // +++
          </ReactFlow>
        </div>
      );
    }
    ```

</StepContent>

</Step>
<Step lastStep>
  <StepTitle>Next: authenticate and add your users</StepTitle>
  <StepContent>
    Your diagram and cursors work now, but each user is anonymous—the next step is to
    authenticate each user as they connect, and attach their name, color, and avatar for components
    like [`Cursors`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react-flow#Cursors) or [`AvatarStack`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react-ui#AvatarStack).

    <Button asChild className="not-markdown">
      <a href="/docs/guides/how-to-add-users-to-liveblocks-presence-components">
        Set up authentication and add user information
      </a>
    </Button>

  </StepContent>

</Step>
</Steps>

## What to read next

Congratulations! You now have set up the foundation for a collaborative React
Flow diagram inside your Next.js application.

- [@liveblocks/react-flow API Reference](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react-flow)
- [Next.js and React guides](/docs/guides?technologies=nextjs%2Creact)
- [React Flow website](https://reactflow.dev)

---

## Examples using React Flow

<ListGrid columns={2}>
  <ExampleCard
    example={{
      title: "Collaborative Flowchart",
      slug: "collaborative-flowchart/nextjs-react-flow",
      image: "/images/examples/thumbnails/collaborative-flowchart.jpg",
    }}
    technologies={["nextjs"]}
    openInNewWindow
  />
  <ExampleCard
    example={{
      title: "Collaborative Flowchart Builder",
      slug: "collaborative-flowchart-builder/nextjs-flowchart-builder",
      image: "/images/examples/thumbnails/collaborative-flowchart-builder.jpg",
      advanced: true,
    }}
    technologies={["nextjs"]}
    openInNewWindow
  />
</ListGrid>

---

For an overview of all available documentation, see [/llms.txt](/llms.txt).