# NextJS deploy cannot force 404 **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Tags:** redirects, nextjs\ **Created:** [October 25, 2022, 1:00pm UTC](https://answers.netlify.com/t/nextjs-deploy-cannot-force-404/78055 "2022-10-25T13:00:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![niels\_bankai](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/netlify/user_avatar/answers.netlify.com/niels_bankai/32/36126_2.png) [@niels\_bankai](https://answers.netlify.com/u/niels_bankai)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 1:00pm UTC](https://answers.netlify.com/t/nextjs-deploy-cannot-force-404/78055/1 "2022-10-25T13:00:36Z")
Hi there, I’m having a problem with my NextJS site. For some reason, I cannot force a 404 page to be rendered. I have a page `pages/[...slug].tsx`. In it’s `getStaticProps` function, I do this: ```auto if (isProtected(context)) { console.log(`Page "${slug}" is protected`) return { notFound: true, } } console.log(`Page "${slug}" is NOT protected`) // Normal operations resume here... ``` Basically, during build time, some environment variable is checked and a `notFound: true` is returned which forces a 404. During build time in Netlify, I see this in the logs: ```auto 2:27:05 PM: info - Collecting page data... 2:27:07 PM: info - Generating static pages (0/24) 2:27:09 PM: info - Generating static pages (6/24) 2:27:09 PM: Page "about" is protected 2:27:09 PM: Page "contact" is protected 2:27:09 PM: info - Generating static pages (12/24) 2:27:09 PM: Page "" is protected 2:27:09 PM: Page "services/transformation-sprint" is protected 2:27:09 PM: Page "services/design-sprint" is protected 2:27:09 PM: info - Generating static pages (18/24) 2:27:09 PM: Page "services" is protected 2:27:09 PM: info - Generating static pages (24/24) 2:27:10 PM: info - Finalizing page optimization... ``` This is correct. All of those pages should return a 404 on build time. However, if I visit those url’s on Netlify after the deploy is completed, those pages show up. Locally, this works (running `yarn build` and `yarn start` will force the 404 pages). Looking a bit further into the deploy logs, I find this redirect: ```auto 2:27:10 PM: { 2:27:10 PM: from: '/:slug/*', 2:27:10 PM: to: '/.netlify/builders/___netlify-odb-handler', 2:27:10 PM: status: 200, 2:27:10 PM: force: false 2:27:10 PM: }, ``` This does’t seem right to me. This URL should redirect to a 404 page? Site is located at [https://develop–bankai-website-v4.netlify.app](https://bankai-website-v4.netlify.app/). Hope you can help me. Kind regards, Niels. ---
**Author:** ![hrishikesh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/netlify/user_avatar/answers.netlify.com/hrishikesh/32/74607_2.png) [@hrishikesh](https://answers.netlify.com/u/hrishikesh)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2022, 4:14pm UTC](https://answers.netlify.com/t/nextjs-deploy-cannot-force-404/78055/4 "2022-10-27T16:14:18Z")
Hey @niels_bankai, Is there a specific use case that you’re trying to achieve? I’m asking because if you always wish to force a page to 404, why not simply use Netlify Redirects, like: ```auto /about /404.html 404! ``` But to solve your actual issue, I can see that in your function logs: [Netlify App](https://app.netlify.com/sites/bankai-website-v4/functions/___netlify-odb-handler?scope=branch:develop) ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/netlify/original/3X/6/2/623034f6e93aba8da008e508b62a1577661c5368.png) We’re not seeing that as same as your build during the runtime. Could you share your `isProtected()` function? How does that determine what you need exactly? ---
**Author:** ![niels\_bankai](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/netlify/user_avatar/answers.netlify.com/niels_bankai/32/36126_2.png) [@niels\_bankai](https://answers.netlify.com/u/niels_bankai)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 12:01pm UTC](https://answers.netlify.com/t/nextjs-deploy-cannot-force-404/78055/5 "2022-10-28T12:01:30Z")
I am trying to implement my own access control to the site, using an environment variable. This site is driven by a headless CMS (Storyblok), which has a visual preview editor (an iframe which loads the Netlify site and injects data into the NextJS application). So, I need the site to be accessible to users that are logged into the CMS. Regular visitors should not have access to the site. Setting a password in Netlify access control is not an option. The setup is as following: Production branch → accessible for both visitors and editors logged into the CMS Development branch (where the problem is) → unaccessible for visitors, accessible for editors logged into the CMS The isProtected function looks like this: ```auto export const isProtected = ( context: GetStaticPropsContext ) => !context.preview && parseBoolean(process.env.PROTECTED) ``` The `context.preview` check is NextJS’ preview mode ([Advanced Features: Preview Mode | Next.js](https://nextjs.org/docs/advanced-features/preview-mode)). The `parseBoolean` function just converts a string to an actual boolean, nothing special. The `PROTECTED` env variable is set in `netlify.toml`: ```auto [context.develop.environment] NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL = "https://develop--bankai-website-v4.netlify.app" PROTECTED = "true" ``` Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![hrishikesh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/netlify/user_avatar/answers.netlify.com/hrishikesh/32/74607_2.png) [@hrishikesh](https://answers.netlify.com/u/hrishikesh)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2022, 1:21pm UTC](https://answers.netlify.com/t/nextjs-deploy-cannot-force-404/78055/6 "2022-10-30T13:21:43Z")
> [@niels\_bankai](#): > > The `context.preview` check is NextJS’ preview mode ([Advanced Features: Preview Mode | Next.js](https://nextjs.org/docs/advanced-features/preview-mode)). The `parseBoolean` function just converts a string to an actual boolean, nothing special. The `PROTECTED` env variable is set in `netlify.toml`: `netlify.toml` environment variables are not usable during the runtime, they’re only accessible during the build time. You need to set a variable in the UI. ---
**Author:** ![niels\_bankai](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/netlify/user_avatar/answers.netlify.com/niels_bankai/32/36126_2.png) [@niels\_bankai](https://answers.netlify.com/u/niels_bankai)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2022, 8:17am UTC](https://answers.netlify.com/t/nextjs-deploy-cannot-force-404/78055/7 "2022-10-31T08:17:37Z")
I can’t do that, because this variable only needs to apply to a single branch. I want the main branch to be fully accessible, so this variable needs to be `false` for that branch, yet it needs to be `true` for the develop branch. Since Netlify doesn’t have an option to set separate variables per branch in the UI, this is the only way I can make a distinction between those two branches. However, your reply did lead me to the solution. NextJS strips variables which are not prefixed with `NEXT_PUBLIC_` upon build time. In theory, that shouldn’t matter, since I am calling this `isProtected` function inside `getStaticProps`, thus I’m using SSG to create the 404 pages at build time. In practice, this does have an effect. I don’t know why, but if I prefix the env variable with `NEXT_PUBLIC_`, it does work. I think this has something to do with how Netlify creates NextJS handler functions? Again, I’m not sure, but at least it now works. Thanks for the help. ---
**Author:** ![fool](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/netlify/user_avatar/answers.netlify.com/fool/32/37_2.png) [@fool](https://answers.netlify.com/u/fool)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2022, 11:44pm UTC](https://answers.netlify.com/t/nextjs-deploy-cannot-force-404/78055/8 "2022-10-31T23:44:14Z")
Not sure why that flow was needed, but glad to hear you found something that works for you! This (experimental for a while longer, but we use it in production already and it works well) feature does let you set branch-specific variables that can be used with functions: [Environment variables overview | Netlify Docs](https://docs.netlify.com/netlify-labs/experimental-features/environment-variables/get-started/) ---
**Author:** ![niels\_bankai](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/netlify/user_avatar/answers.netlify.com/niels_bankai/32/36126_2.png) [@niels\_bankai](https://answers.netlify.com/u/niels_bankai)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2022, 9:07am UTC](https://answers.netlify.com/t/nextjs-deploy-cannot-force-404/78055/9 "2022-11-09T09:07:29Z")
Update: I’ve tried switching to the new environment variables setup in the UI and I no longer have to prefix my ENV variables with NEXT\_PUBLIC\_. I’ll be sticking to this. Thanks for the help!