Understanding Server-Side Rendering with Next.js

Server-side rendering (SSR) in Next.js allows your web applications to render pages on the server before sending them to the client. This can significantly improve the performance and SEO of your site by delivering fully rendered HTML to users and search engines.

In this article, we’ll dive into how SSR works in Next.js and explore scenarios where it can be beneficial for your projects.

What is Server-Side Rendering?

Server-side rendering is the process of rendering a web page on the server instead of in the browser. When a request is made, the server processes the data and returns a fully rendered HTML page to the client.

Benefits of SSR

1. Improved SEO: Search engines can index the fully rendered HTML, improving your site's visibility.
2. Faster Initial Load: Users receive a fully rendered page on the first load, improving the perceived performance.
3. Dynamic Content: SSR is ideal for applications with dynamic content that needs to be up-to-date on each request.

How to Implement SSR in Next.js

Next.js makes it easy to implement SSR with the getServerSideProps function. Here’s a basic example:

export async function getServerSideProps(context) {
  const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data')
  const data = await res.json()

  return { props: { data } }
}

export default function Page({ data }) {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>{data.title}</h1>
      <p>{data.content}</p>
    </div>
  )
}

In this example, getServerSideProps fetches data at request time and passes it to the page component for rendering.

Conclusion

Server-side rendering in Next.js is a powerful tool for improving the performance and SEO of your web applications. By understanding when and how to use SSR, you can create faster, more dynamic websites that provide a better user experience.