When building web applications, you’ve probably asked yourself: “How can I create a website that’s both fast and ranks well in search engines?” If you want to achieve great SEO and performance while using React, Next.js is the answer.

In October 2025, Next.js 16 was released with significant improvements including stable Turbopack and Cache Components. Today, we’ll explore what Next.js is, why developers choose it, and how to get started.

 

 

 

1. What is Next.js?

Next.js is an open-source React framework developed by Vercel that supports Server-Side Rendering (SSR), Static Site Generation (SSG), and Client-Side Rendering (CSR).

While React alone is excellent for building web applications, Next.js makes server rendering accessible without complex configuration. Previously, implementing SSR in React required manual setup with ReactDOMServer, which was quite tedious.

Next.js follows semantic versioning, with major versions released approximately twice a year. It’s actively maintained, allowing you to adopt the latest web technologies quickly.

What is ‘React’? The Most Popular Component-Based JavaScript Library

 

 

2. Why Use Next.js?

Superior Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Standard React apps (SPAs) initially send empty HTML, making it difficult for search engine crawlers to properly index content. Next.js, however, pre-renders complete HTML on the server, enabling search engines like Google to accurately index your pages.

For blogs, e-commerce sites, or any content where search visibility matters, Next.js is essential.

Fast Initial Page Load

Nothing frustrates users more than staring at a blank screen while content loads. Next.js pre-renders HTML on the server before sending it to the client, resulting in faster initial page loads.

Automatic Code Splitting

Next.js uses file-system based routing and loads only the JavaScript needed for each page. If a user is on the homepage, the product detail page code hasn’t been downloaded yet. This reduces unnecessary code and improves performance.

Enhanced Performance in Latest Version

Released on October 21, 2025, Next.js 16 features stable Turbopack, delivering 5-10x faster Fast Refresh and 2-5x faster builds. Code changes appear on screen almost instantly during development.

 

 

3. Understanding Next.js Rendering Methods

Next.js’s greatest advantage is the ability to choose rendering methods based on page characteristics. Next.js is often called a hybrid web app because you can adopt appropriate rendering methods for different pages, and even use hybrid approaches within a single page.

SSR (Server-Side Rendering)

SSR generates fresh HTML on the server for each user request. While generating HTML for every request is slower and puts more load on the server, it always displays the most current data.

When to use:

• User-specific pages (dashboards, shopping carts)
• Pages requiring authentication, cookies, or session data
• Frequently changing data
• Content that varies by request

SSG (Static Site Generation)

SSG generates HTML at build time and reuses the same HTML for all users. Since HTML is generated during build and reused for every request, and can be cached on CDN, it offers the best performance. Next.js recommends SSG where possible.

SSG HTML is generated when running the next build command. Note that it won’t work properly in development mode (npm run dev), so test with production builds.

When to use:

• Content that rarely changes (blog posts, product pages)
• Static pages (company info, service descriptions)
• Marketing landing pages
• Content that remains the same regardless of who requests it

ISR (Incremental Static Regeneration)

ISR is a subset of SSG, with the key difference being periodic page regeneration at set intervals. It solves SSG’s limitation of requiring full rebuilds to update pages. When a page is requested, ISR serves the cached static page while regenerating it in the background, then serves the updated version once ready.

When to use:

• Content that updates periodically (news sites)
• Sites with dynamic but infrequently changing content (blogs)
• Pages where reviews or ratings change occasionally

Rendering Methods Comparison

Method	HTML Generation	Cacheable	Speed	Server Load	Best For
SSR	Every request	Limited	Moderate	High	Dynamic content, personalized pages
SSG	Build time	Yes	Very fast	None	Static content, blogs
ISR	Build + periodic	Yes	Fast	Low	Periodically updated pages

 

 

4. Pages Router vs App Router – Key Differences

Next.js has two routing systems, and understanding the difference is crucial.

Pages Router (Legacy)

The traditional approach used in Next.js 12 and earlier. Files in the pages folder automatically become routes, using special functions for data fetching:

• getServerSideProps – SSR implementation
• getStaticProps – SSG implementation
• getStaticPaths – SSG for dynamic routes

This approach controls rendering only at the page level.

App Router (Modern, Recommended)

Introduced in Next.js 13, it supports React 19’s Server Components. Uses the app folder with key differences:

1. Server Components

Control rendering at the component level. You no longer need to separate rendering by page.

2. Changed Data Fetching

Server Components can be async functions, allowing direct data fetching within components. Components can handle their own data fetching.

3. Request Memoization (Automatic Deduplication)

Fetch requests with identical URLs and options are automatically memoized during React rendering. Even if multiple components request the same data, only one server request is made. This significantly improves performance.

Which Should You Choose?

For new projects, App Router is strongly recommended. It offers more powerful features and better performance, and Next.js documentation now focuses on App Router. For existing projects, continuing with Pages Router is fine.

 

 

5. Data Fetching in App Router

The most revolutionary change in App Router is how you fetch data.

fetch API and Caching Options

By default, fetch requests retrieve fresh data. This makes the entire route render dynamically without caching.

Cache Control:

• cache: 'no-store' – No caching (SSR, always fresh data)
• cache: 'force-cache' – Cache (SSG, data fixed at build)
• next: { revalidate: 60 } – Revalidate every 60 seconds (ISR)

Simple example:

// SSR - no caching
async function getData() {
  const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data', {
    cache: 'no-store'
  })
  return res.json()
}

// SSG - with caching
async function getStaticData() {
  const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data', {
    cache: 'force-cache'
  })
  return res.json()
}

// ISR - revalidate every 60 seconds
async function getRevalidatedData() {
  const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data', {
    next: { revalidate: 60 }
  })
  return res.json()
}

Fetching data directly in the layout where it’s needed is recommended. Even when requesting the same data multiple times, React and Next.js cache and deduplicate requests, preventing redundant fetches.

Server Component Benefits

Server Components reduce client-side JS bundle size, protect sensitive information like tokens and API keys, and can directly access databases.

 

 

6. Getting Started with Next.js

Prerequisites

Node.js 20.9 or later is required. Download the latest LTS version from the Node.js official website.

Check installation in terminal:

node -v
npm -v

Automatic Installation (Recommended)

Using create-next-app automatically configures everything. Open your terminal and run:

npx create-next-app@latest my-nextjs-app

You’ll see a few prompts:

What is your project named? my-nextjs-app
Would you like to use the recommended Next.js defaults? Yes

Selecting defaults automatically sets up TypeScript, ESLint, Tailwind CSS, App Router, and Turbopack. For beginners, choosing “Yes” is recommended.

For customization, select “No, customize settings” to individually choose TypeScript, linter, Tailwind CSS, src directory, and App Router options.

Running the Project

Navigate to the project folder and start the development server:

cd my-nextjs-app
npm run dev

Visit http://localhost:3000 in your browser to see the Next.js welcome page!

Understanding npm Scripts

npm run dev      # Start development server (with Turbopack)
npm run build    # Build for production
npm run start    # Start production server
npm run lint     # Run ESLint

Turbopack is now the default bundler. To use Webpack, run next dev –webpack or next build –webpack.

 

 

7. Understanding Next.js Project Structure

A new Next.js project creates this folder structure:

my-nextjs-app/
├── app/                    # App Router files
│   ├── layout.tsx         # Root layout
│   ├── page.tsx           # Homepage (/)
│   └── about/             
│       └── page.tsx       # About page (/about)
├── public/                # Static files (images, fonts, etc.)
├── node_modules/          # Installed packages
├── package.json           # Project info and dependencies
├── next.config.js         # Next.js configuration
└── tsconfig.json          # TypeScript configuration

app Folder (App Router) – Essential!

Next.js uses file-system based routing, so the file structure in the app folder determines URL paths.

Basic routing rules:

• app/page.tsx → Homepage (/)
• app/about/page.tsx → About page (/about)
• app/blog/page.tsx → Blog list (/blog)
• app/blog/[id]/page.tsx → Dynamic blog detail (/blog/1, /blog/2, etc.)

Creating folders automatically sets up routing—no need for React Router!

Dynamic Routes

Use square brackets [] for dynamic paths:

File structure:

app/
└── products/
    └── [id]/
        └── page.tsx

This connects /products/1, /products/2, /products/abc to the same component, with access to the URL value.

Catch-all segments:

• [...slug] – Catches all remaining path segments
• [[...slug]] – Optionally catches remaining path segments

layout.tsx File

The root layout is required and must include html and body tags. Add common elements like headers, footers, and navigation here.

Layouts can be nested:

• app/layout.tsx – Root app layout
• app/dashboard/layout.tsx – Dashboard section layout

public Folder

Store static files like images and fonts here, accessible from the root path (/). public/logo.png is accessible at /logo.png.

src Directory (Optional)

You can optionally use a src folder to separate application code from configuration files. This option is available during create-next-app installation.

 

 

8. Practical Next.js Tips

Development vs Production Mode

# Development mode - hot reload on changes
npm run dev

# Production build - optimized version
npm run build

# Production server
npm run start

SSG doesn’t work properly in development (npm run dev), so test with production builds (npm run start).

Image Optimization

Next.js provides automatic image optimization. Use the next/image Image component instead of regular <img> tags for automatic resizing and modern format conversion (WebP, etc.).

import Image from 'next/image'

export default function Profile() {
  return (
    <Image
      src="/profile.png"
      alt="Profile picture"
      width={200}
      height={200}
    />
  )
}

Metadata Configuration (SEO)

In App Router, easily set metadata in layout.tsx or page.tsx:

import type { Metadata } from 'next'
 
export const metadata: Metadata = {
  title: 'My Blog',
  description: 'A blog built with Next.js',
}

Using TypeScript

To use TypeScript, change file extensions to .ts or .tsx and run npm run dev. Next.js automatically configures everything and creates the tsconfig.json file.

Environment Variables

Create a .env.local file to manage environment variables:

# .env.local
DATABASE_URL=your_database_url
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=https://api.example.com

Variables prefixed with NEXT_PUBLIC_ are accessible in the browser; others are server-only.

 

 

9. Deployment

Vercel Deployment (Easiest)

1. Sign in to Vercel with your GitHub account
2. Push your project to GitHub
3. Click “Import Project” in Vercel
4. Automatic build and deployment complete!

Vercel, created by Next.js’s developers, offers the best optimization and includes a free tier.

Other Hosting Services

Next.js deploys to various platforms:

• AWS (Amplify, EC2)
• Google Cloud
• Azure
• Netlify
• Cloudflare Pages

 

 

10. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. Does Next.js require a server?

No. Building with SSG creates a fully static site deployable to static hosting services like GitHub Pages or Netlify.

Q. Must I deploy to Vercel?

No. While Vercel offers excellent optimization for Next.js, you can deploy to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or any other platform.

Q. Can I migrate an existing React project to Next.js?

Yes. You can gradually migrate pages one at a time, reducing the burden.

Q. Should I migrate my Pages Router project to App Router?

Not immediately required. Pages Router continues to be supported. However, migrating to App Router is recommended long-term.

Q. What’s the difference between Server and Client Components?

Server Components render on the server and send HTML, while Client Components download JS in the browser for rendering. Use Client Components for state management (useState, useEffect); otherwise, Server Components are preferable.

Q. What resources should I use for learning?

The Next.js official documentation is the best resource, along with the Learn tutorial.

 

 

11. Conclusion

Next.js elevates React development to the next level. While concepts may seem unfamiliar initially, once comfortable, you’ll find it hard to go back to plain React.

Particularly with Next.js 16 released in October 2025, stable Turbopack has vastly improved the development experience, and new features like Cache Components make it even more powerful.

Choose Next.js for blogs, e-commerce sites, or company websites where SEO matters. You’ll achieve both fast performance and search visibility.

Recommended Learning Path

1. Follow the official Getting Started documentation
2. Build a simple blog or portfolio site
3. Learn App Router and Server Components concepts
4. Apply to real projects

Resources

• Next.js Official Documentation
• Next.js GitHub
• Next.js Learn Tutorial