Next.js & Deployment
advancedTopic 14 of 14 in Frontend Development
What it is
Next.js is a React framework that adds server-side rendering, static site generation, file-based routing, and built-in API routes. It is used to build production-ready web applications that are fast and SEO-friendly.
Why frontend developers need it
Plain React apps run entirely in the browser, which hurts SEO and initial load time. Next.js solves these problems and is the go-to framework for production React apps at many companies.
What to learn
File-based routing and dynamic routes
Server components vs. client components
Data fetching: server actions, API routes
Static generation (SSG) vs. server-side rendering (SSR)
Image optimisation with next/image
Middleware and authentication patterns
Deploying to Vercel, Cloudflare, or a VPS
Environment variables and production config
Practice project
Full-Stack Blog
Build a blog with Next.js: markdown-based posts with static generation, a dynamic search page with server-side rendering, an API route for a contact form, and deploy it live.