---
description: Next.js allows you to serve static files, like images, in the public directory. You can learn how it works here.
---
# Static File Serving
Next.js can serve static files, like images, under a folder called `public` in the root directory. Files inside `public` can then be referenced by your code starting from the base URL (`/`).
For example, if you add an image to `public/my-image.png`, the following code will access the image:
```jsx
function MyImage() {
return
}
export default MyImage
```
This folder is also useful for `robots.txt`, Google Site Verification, and any other static files (including `.html`)!
> **Note**: Don't name the `public` directory anything else. The name cannot be changed and is the only directory used to serve static assets.
> **Note**: Be sure to not have a static file with the same name as a file in the `pages/` directory, as this will result in an error.
>
> Read more: