Next.js Render Methods

Next.js Rendering Methods Guide

Rendering Methods Explained
Understanding the different approaches and when to use them

Client-Side Rendering (CSR)

Data is fetched by the browser after the page loads using JavaScript.

  • Best for: Private, user-specific data or frequently changing content
  • Pros: Reduces server load, interactive without full page refresh
  • Cons: Initial load may show loading states, SEO challenges

Time-Based ISR

Pages are statically generated and then regenerated after a specified interval.

  • Best for: Content that changes periodically but doesn't need real-time updates
  • Pros: Fast page loads, reduced server load, good SEO
  • Cons: Data can be stale between regeneration intervals

On-Demand ISR

Pages are statically generated and then regenerated when explicitly requested.

  • Best for: Content that changes infrequently or on specific events
  • Pros: Fast page loads, data freshness control, good SEO
  • Cons: Requires implementation of revalidation triggers

Server-Side Rendering (SSR)

Data is fetched on the server for each request.

  • Best for: Pages that need fresh data on every request or need SEO
  • Pros: Always fresh data, good SEO, secure data fetching
  • Cons: Slower than static pages, higher server load
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Solutions for frequent challenges

ISR Not Working

  • Ensure you're running a production build (npm run build && npm start or equivalent for your package manager)
  • Check that you've set the correct revalidate value
  • Verify that your API routes are correctly calling revalidateTag or revalidatePath

Cache Not Updating

  • Use unique tags for different content types
  • Check browser caching (try hard refresh with Ctrl+F5)
  • Ensure your fetch requests include proper cache control headers

Dynamic Server Usage Error

  • Use client components for dynamic content in static pages
  • Set dynamic = "force-dynamic" for fully dynamic pages
  • Use fetchCache = "force-no-store" to disable caching
Official Documentation
Learn more from Next.js resources

Data Fetching

Comprehensive guide to data fetching in Next.js

Static Generation

Learn about static site generation with dynamic routes

revalidatePath

On-demand revalidation by path

revalidateTag

On-demand revalidation by cache tag

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