vercel/next.js / errors / static-metadata-runtime.mdx

---

title: Next.js encountered runtime data in generateMetadata() on a route that must be fully static kind: error

<div style={{ padding: '1.25rem 1.5rem', border: '1px solid var(--ds-gray-400)', borderRadius: '12px', background: 'var(--ds-background-200)', margin: '1.5rem 0 2rem', fontSize: '0.95rem', lineHeight: '1.6', }} > This error is part of the [Instant Navigations](https://nextjs.org/blog/next-16-3-instant-navigations) feature introduced in Next.js 16.3. If you're new to it, start with the [Ensuring instant navigations](/docs/app/guides/instant-navigation) guide. </div>

A page or layout on this route exports ensureStatic with the 'navigation' value, requiring all server-rendered work for the route to complete during prerendering.

During prerendering, generateMetadata() read request-specific data from cookies(), headers(), params, or searchParams. Reading these values in generateMetadata() requires rendering at request time, which conflicts with the route's static requirement.

A use cache scope also triggers this error when its expire is under five minutes, stale is under 30 seconds, or revalidate is 0.

Uncached fetch() requests, database calls, and connection() have different fixes. See Uncached data in generateMetadata() on a route that must be fully static.

Ways to fix this

<FixCardGrid> <FixCard group="static" title="Use static metadata" href="#use-static-metadata" snippets={[ { text: 'export const metadata = {', highlight: true }, { text: " title: 'My page'" }, { text: '}' }, ]} /> </FixCardGrid>

Use static metadata

Choose this fix when metadata does not need request-specific data.

Patterns

Export a static metadata object

Replace generateMetadata() with a static metadata export:

export const metadata = { title: 'My page' }

export default function Layout({ children }) {
  return <section>{children}</section>
}

Learn more: Static metadata.

Trade-off

The metadata is determined during prerendering rather than per request.

Gotchas

• This fixes metadata only. Page content and other segments must also satisfy the static requirement.
• A static export cannot read cookies(), headers(), params, or searchParams.

Other options

Extend the cache lifetime

Set expire to at least five minutes, stale to at least 30 seconds, and revalidate above 0. Increase the lifetime only when serving shared, older metadata is acceptable.

Learn more: cacheLife.

Verifying the fix

After applying a fix, rerun next build and confirm that the route completes prerendering. If the error also appeared in next dev, reload the route and confirm that the overlay clears. Wrapping the access in Suspense or setting instant = false does not relax this static requirement.

In next dev, the error overlay points at the failing function with file paths and line numbers. Run next build --debug-prerender for full user-frame stack traces and next build --debug-build-paths /dashboard /settings to iterate on specific routes.

Remove the static requirement

The 'navigation' value is usually set deliberately to guarantee static output for the entire server-rendered route. Removing it relaxes that requirement for every segment, not only metadata.

If request-time rendering is intentional for this route, remove ensureStatic = 'navigation' from every page or layout that sets it. The route then follows the ordinary Cache Components rendering rules.

Learn more: Combining ensureStatic levels across layouts and pages.

Related validation errors

See Instant Navigation validation errors for the complete reference.