Fix: Build exited with code 1 error

The ‘Build exited with code 1’ error indicates that the build process failed with a generic error code, typically due to compilation errors, missing dependencies, configuration issues, or resource limitations during the build process.

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How the Error Happens

This error typically occurs when:

• Syntax errors in source code
• Missing or incorrect dependencies
• Insufficient memory or disk space
• Configuration issues in build tools
• Permission problems with build directories
• Environment variable issues
• Version incompatibilities

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Solution 1: Check Build Logs and Error Messages

# ✅ Get detailed build output
npm run build --verbose
# OR
yarn build --verbose

# ✅ For Next.js projects
npm run build 2>&1 | tee build-log.txt

# ✅ For React projects
npm run build 2>&1 | grep -A 10 -B 10 "error"

# ✅ Check for specific error patterns
# Look for keywords in build output
grep -i "error\|failed\|fatal" build-log.txt

# ✅ Check exit codes
echo $?
# 1 means general error

---

Solution 2: Verify Dependencies and Package Versions

// ✅ Check package.json for correct versions
{
  "name": "my-app",
  "scripts": {
    "build": "next build",
    "prebuild": "npm run check-deps",
    "check-deps": "npm ls --depth=0"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "next": "^13.0.0",
    "react": "^18.2.0",
    "react-dom": "^18.2.0"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "eslint": "^8.0.0"
  }
}

# ✅ Clean install dependencies
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install

# ✅ Or for Yarn
rm -rf node_modules yarn.lock
yarn install

# ✅ Check for dependency issues
npm audit
npm outdated

---

Solution 3: Check for Syntax and Compilation Errors

// ❌ Common syntax errors that cause build failures
// Missing semicolons in strict mode
const myVar = 'value'  // ❌ Missing semicolon

// ❌ Missing closing brackets
function myFunction() {
  console.log('Hello')
  // Missing closing brace

// ✅ Correct syntax
const myVar = 'value';  // ✅ Proper semicolon

function myFunction() {
  console.log('Hello');
}  // ✅ Proper closing brace

# ✅ Run linter before build
npm run lint
# OR
npx eslint src/

# ✅ Check TypeScript compilation
npx tsc --noEmit

---

Solution 4: Increase Memory Allocation

# ✅ Increase Node.js memory limit for build
NODE_OPTIONS="--max-old-space-size=4096" npm run build

# ✅ Set in package.json
{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "NODE_OPTIONS='--max-old-space-size=4096' next build"
  }
}

# ✅ For webpack-heavy builds
export NODE_OPTIONS="--max-old-space-size=8192"
npm run build

# ✅ Or set environment variable
NODE_ENV=production node --max-old-space-size=8192 ./node_modules/.bin/next build

---

Solution 5: Check Build Configuration Files

// ✅ Verify next.config.js (for Next.js)
/** @type {import('next').NextConfig} */
const nextConfig = {
  reactStrictMode: true,
  swcMinify: true,
  // ✅ Check for configuration errors
  images: {
    domains: ['example.com'],
  },
  // ✅ Ensure no syntax errors
};

module.exports = nextConfig;

// ✅ Verify webpack.config.js
const path = require('path');

module.exports = {
  entry: './src/index.js',
  output: {
    path: path.resolve(__dirname, 'dist'),
    filename: 'bundle.js',
  },
  // ✅ Check for configuration issues
  module: {
    rules: [
      {
        test: /\.js$/,
        exclude: /node_modules/,
        use: {
          loader: 'babel-loader',
        },
      },
    ],
  },
};

---

Solution 6: Clear Build Cache and Temporary Files

# ✅ Clear npm cache
npm cache clean --force

# ✅ Clear build cache
rm -rf .next  # Next.js
rm -rf dist   # General build directory
rm -rf build  # React build directory
rm -rf .cache # Webpack cache

# ✅ For Create React App
rm -rf node_modules
npm install
npm run build

# ✅ Clear Yarn cache
yarn cache clean

# ✅ Clear specific package cache
yarn cache clean package-name

---

Solution 7: Check Environment Variables and Secrets

# ✅ Verify required environment variables
echo $NODE_ENV
echo $NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL
echo $DATABASE_URL

# ✅ Create .env.local with required variables
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=https://api.example.com
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:pass@localhost/db

// ✅ Safe environment variable usage
const apiUrl = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL || 'http://localhost:3000';

// ✅ Check for undefined variables
if (!process.env.DATABASE_URL) {
  throw new Error('DATABASE_URL environment variable is required');
}

---

Solution 8: Use Build-Specific Scripts and Checks

// ✅ Enhanced package.json with prebuild checks
{
  "name": "my-app",
  "scripts": {
    "prebuild": "npm run type-check && npm run lint",
    "build": "next build",
    "type-check": "tsc --noEmit",
    "lint": "eslint src --ext .js,.jsx,.ts,.tsx",
    "postbuild": "echo 'Build completed successfully'"
  }
}

# ✅ Run build with error handling
npm run build || echo "Build failed with exit code $?"

---

Solution 9: Check Disk Space and Resources

# ✅ Check available disk space
df -h

# ✅ Check memory usage
free -h
# OR on macOS
vm_stat

# ✅ Check current directory size
du -sh .

# ✅ Clean up if needed
npm cache clean --force
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install

# ✅ For CI/CD environments, check available resources
# GitHub Actions
echo "Available memory: $(free -m)"
echo "Available disk: $(df -h .)"

# ✅ Increase runner resources if possible
# In GitHub Actions workflow file:
# runs-on: ubuntu-latest-8-cores

---

Solution 10: Debug Build Process Step by Step

# ✅ Break down build process
npm run clean && npm run install && npm run build

# ✅ Create a debug build script
{
  "scripts": {
    "debug-build": "echo 'Step 1: Checking dependencies' && npm ls --depth=0 && echo 'Step 2: Running type check' && npm run type-check && echo 'Step 3: Building' && npm run build"
  }
}

# ✅ Use verbose flags for different build tools
# For Webpack
npx webpack --mode=production --verbose

# For Vite
vite build --debug

# For Create React App
CI=false npm run build

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Prevention Tips

1. Test locally: Always test builds locally before deploying
2. Use linting: Implement code quality checks
3. Monitor resources: Watch memory and disk usage
4. Version control: Use specific dependency versions
5. Environment consistency: Match local and production environments
6. Automated checks: Implement pre-commit hooks
7. Monitor logs: Keep build logs for debugging
8. Incremental builds: Use build caching when possible

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When to Contact Support

Contact your hosting provider or development team when:

• Following all troubleshooting steps still results in build failures
• Suspected infrastructure issues on their side
• Need to investigate server-side build configurations
• Encountering platform-specific build limitations
• Experiencing account-related access problems