vercel/next.js · error

Route ${workStore.route} used "${expression}" inside `after(

Error message

Route ${workStore.route} used "${expression}" inside `after()`. The enabled status of `draftMode()` can be read inside `after()` but you cannot enable or disable `draftMode()`. See more info here: https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/functions/after

What it means

Error "Route ${workStore.route} used "${expression}" inside `after()`. The enabled status of `draftMode()` can be read inside `after()` but you cannot enable or disable `draftMode()`. See more info here: https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/functions/after" thrown in vercel/next.js.

Source

Thrown at packages/next/src/server/request/draft-mode.ts:202

  expression: string
) {
  const prefix = route ? `Route "${route}" ` : 'This route '
  return new Error(
    `${prefix}used ${expression}. ` +
      `\`draftMode()\` returns a Promise and must be unwrapped with \`await\` or \`React.use()\` before accessing its properties. ` +
      `Learn more: https://nextjs.org/docs/messages/sync-dynamic-apis`
  )
}

function trackDynamicDraftMode(expression: string, constructorOpt: Function) {
  const workStore = workAsyncStorage.getStore()
  const workUnitStore = workUnitAsyncStorage.getStore()

  if (workStore) {
    // We have a store we want to track dynamic data access to ensure we
    // don't statically generate routes that manipulate draft mode.
    if (workUnitStore?.phase === 'after') {
      throw new Error(
        `Route ${workStore.route} used "${expression}" inside \`after()\`. The enabled status of \`draftMode()\` can be read inside \`after()\` but you cannot enable or disable \`draftMode()\`. See more info here: https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/functions/after`
      )
    }

    if (workStore.dynamicShouldError) {
      throw new StaticGenBailoutError(
        `Route ${workStore.route} with \`dynamic = "error"\` couldn't be rendered statically because it used \`${expression}\`. See more info here: https://nextjs.org/docs/app/building-your-application/rendering/static-and-dynamic#dynamic-rendering`
      )
    }

    if (workUnitStore) {
      switch (workUnitStore.type) {
        case 'cache':
        case 'private-cache': {
          const error = createDraftModeMutationInUseCacheError(
            workStore.route,
            expression
          )

View on GitHub (pinned to 258b1c1bc0)

Solutions

1. Only read draftMode().isEnabled inside after(); do not call enable()/disable() there.

When it happens

Trigger: draftMode enable/disable is called inside after().

Common situations: Trying to mutate draft mode within an after() callback; only reading is allowed.

AI-assisted analysis of vercel/next.js@258b1c1bc0 (2026-08-19). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d1f7974d59249673. Report an issue: GitHub.