What is Next.js?
A React framework by Vercel that provides server-side rendering, static site generation, API routes, and other production features for building fast, SEO-friendly web applications.
Understanding the Details
Next.js has become the dominant framework for building modern web applications, particularly for SaaS companies. It provides a flexible rendering model — static generation for marketing pages, server rendering for dynamic content, and client rendering for interactive features — all within one application. Key features include file-based routing, API routes, image optimisation, middleware, and excellent TypeScript support. For marketing sites, Next.js delivers exceptional performance and SEO through pre-rendering and built-in optimisations. For applications, it provides the full-stack capabilities needed for authenticated experiences, data fetching, and complex UI. The App Router (introduced in Next.js 13) represents the latest evolution with server components and improved data fetching patterns.
How It Works in Practice
SaaS marketing site
A company builds their marketing site with Next.js, using static generation for content pages and server components for dynamic pricing.
Full-stack application
Next.js handles both the marketing site and the authenticated application, with shared components and consistent design across both.
Programmatic SEO
Next.js generates thousands of glossary, comparison, and solution pages at build time, with ISR keeping them fresh without full rebuilds.
Why It Matters
The framework choice affects development speed, performance, and SEO. Next.js provides the tools to build fast, discoverable web experiences without compromising developer productivity.
What People Often Get Wrong
Next.js is only for large applications. Actually, it's excellent for projects of any size, from simple marketing sites to complex applications.
Next.js requires Vercel hosting. Actually, Next.js deploys to any Node.js hosting platform, though Vercel offers the most seamless experience.
Next.js is just React. Actually, it adds significant capabilities — rendering strategies, routing, API routes, and optimisations — beyond what React provides alone.
How We Handle Next.js
We build with Next.js as our primary framework, leveraging its rendering flexibility, performance optimisations, and developer experience to deliver fast, SEO-optimised sites and applications.
Related Terms
Common Questions
Need Help With Next.js?
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