---
title: Cannot output to /public
url: "https://nextjs.org/docs/messages/can-not-output-to-public"
---


## Why This Error Occurred

Either you set `distDir` to `public` in your `next.config.js` or during `next export` you tried to export to the `public` directory.

This is not allowed because `public` is used by Next.js to serve static assets.

## Possible Ways to Fix It

Use a different `distDir` or export to a different folder.

## Useful Links

- [Static file serving docs](/docs/pages/api-reference/file-conventions/public-folder)