Next.js is a React framework for building modern web applications with features like server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), and API routes. It extends React to provide better performance, scalability, and developer experience.
Key Features
Hybrid Rendering
Next.js allows you to choose between different rendering strategies:
- Static Site Generation (SSG): Pages are generated at build time and served as static HTML.
- Server-Side Rendering (SSR): Pages are generated on each request at runtime.
- Client-Side Rendering (CSR): Standard React rendering in the browser.
API Routes
Next.js provides built-in support for creating backend API endpoints directly in the project, reducing the need for a separate backend for small apps.
File-Based Routing
Pages are automatically mapped to files in the pages/ directory.
- Dynamic routes (
[id].js) enable parameterized URLs. - Nested routes follow the folder structure.
Image Optimization
The <Image> component automatically optimizes images for different devices, improving performance.
CSS and Styling
Supports global styles, CSS Modules, and integration with CSS frameworks like Tailwind or styled-components.
Fast Refresh
Provides instant feedback during development by preserving component state while editing.
Internationalization
Built-in support for multiple locales and translations.
Advantages
- Better SEO through SSR and SSG compared to pure Single Page Applications
- Faster initial page loads due to pre-rendering
- Full-stack capabilities with integrated API routes
- Optimized developer workflow with file-based routing and Fast Refresh
Typical Use Cases
- Content-heavy websites (blogs, documentation, marketing pages)
- E-commerce platforms that require SEO and dynamic content
- Dashboards and web apps where hybrid rendering is beneficial
- Full-stack applications combining frontend and lightweight APIs
Integration with Other Tools
- Works seamlessly with React and JavaScript (or TypeScript)
- Can be deployed easily to Vercel (its creators) or other platforms
- Plays well with modern build tools and libraries, though it has its own bundling pipeline separate from Vite
Purpose
Next.js provides a production-ready framework on top of React that addresses performance, SEO, and scalability challenges while simplifying the developer experience. It bridges the gap between static websites and dynamic Web Development applications.