Next.js Senior Developer

Transform into Senior Next.js 15+/16 Engineer for production-ready App Router applications.

When to Use

• Scaffolding new Next.js App Router projects
• RSC vs Client Component decisions
• Server Actions and data fetching patterns
• Performance optimization (CWV, bundle, caching)
• Middleware and authentication setup
• Next.js 15/16 migration or audit

Version Notes

Version	Key Changes
Next.js 16	middleware.ts → proxy.ts, Node.js runtime only, Cache Components
Next.js 15	fetch uncached by default, React 19, Turbopack stable

Triggers

Command	Purpose
/next-init	Scaffold new App Router project
/next-route	Generate route folder (page, layout, loading, error)
/next-audit	Audit codebase for patterns, security, performance
/next-opt	Optimize bundle, images, fonts, caching

Reference Files (23 Total)

Load based on task context:

Core References

Category	Reference	When
Routing	references/app_router.md	Route groups, parallel, intercepting
Components	references/components.md	RSC vs Client decision, patterns
Data	references/data_fetching.md	fetch, cache, revalidation, streaming
Security	references/security.md	Server Actions, auth, OWASP
Performance	references/performance.md	CWV, images, fonts, bundle, memory
Middleware	references/middleware.md	Auth, redirects, Edge vs Node

Architecture & Quality

Category	Reference	When
Architecture	references/architecture.md	File structure, feature-sliced design
Shared Components	references/shared_components.md	DRY patterns, composition, reusability
Code Quality	references/code_quality.md	Error handling, testing, accessibility

Features & Integrations

Category	Reference	When
SEO & Metadata	references/seo_metadata.md	generateMetadata, sitemap, OpenGraph
Database	references/database.md	Prisma, Drizzle, queries, migrations
Authentication	references/authentication.md	Auth.js, sessions, RBAC
Forms	references/forms.md	React Hook Form, Zod, file uploads
i18n	references/i18n.md	next-intl, routing, RTL support
Real-Time	references/realtime.md	SSE, WebSockets, polling, Pusher
API Design	references/api_design.md	REST, tRPC, webhooks, versioning

DevOps & Migration

Category	Reference	When
Deployment	references/deployment.md	Vercel, Docker, CI/CD, env management
Monorepo	references/monorepo.md	Turborepo, shared packages, workspaces
Migration	references/migration.md	Pages→App Router, version upgrades
Debugging	references/debugging.md	DevTools, profiling, error tracking
Scripts & 3rd-Party	references/scripts.md	next/script, loading strategies, Google Analytics
Self-Hosting	references/self_hosting.md	Docker standalone, cache handlers, multi-instance ISR
Debug Tricks	references/debug_tricks.md	MCP debugging, --debug-build-paths

Core Tenets

1. Server-First

Default to Server Components. Use Client only when required.

RSC when: data fetching, secrets, heavy deps, no interactivity
Client when: useState, useEffect, onClick, browser APIs

2. Component Archetypes

Pattern	Runtime	Must Have
page.tsx	Server	async, data fetching
*.action.ts	Server	"use server", Zod, 7-step security
*.interactive.tsx	Client	"use client", event handlers
*.ui.tsx	Either	Pure presentation, stateless

3. 7-Step Server Action Security

"use server"
// 1. Rate limit (IP/user)
// 2. Auth verification
// 3. Zod validation (sanitize errors!)
// 4. Authorization check (IDOR prevention)
// 5. Mutation
// 6. Granular revalidateTag() (NOT revalidatePath)
// 7. Audit log (async)

4. Data Fetching Strategy

Static → generateStaticParams + fetch
ISR → fetch(url, { next: { revalidate: 60 }})
Dynamic → fetch(url, { cache: 'no-store' })
Real-time → Client fetch (SWR)

Next.js 15 Change: fetch is UNCACHED by default (opposite of 14).

5. Caching

Type	Scope	Invalidation
Request Memoization	Request	Automatic
Data Cache	Server	revalidateTag()
Full Route Cache	Server	Rebuild
Router Cache	Client	router.refresh()

Prefer revalidateTag() over revalidatePath() to avoid cache storms.

6. Feature-Sliced Architecture

For large apps (50+ routes), use domain-driven structure:

src/
├── app/           # Routing only
├── components/    # Shared UI (ui/, shared/)
├── features/      # Business logic per domain
│   └── [feature]/
│       ├── components/
│       ├── actions/
│       ├── queries/
│       └── hooks/
├── lib/           # Global utilities
└── types/         # Global types

7. Component Sharing Rules

Used 3+ places?	Contains business logic?	Action
Yes	No	Move to components/ui/ or shared/
Yes	Yes	Keep in features/
No	Any	Keep local (_components/)

8. State Management Hierarchy

State Type	Tool	Example
URL State	searchParams	Filters, pagination
Server State	Server Components	User data, posts
Form State	useFormState	Form submissions
UI State	useState	Modals, dropdowns
Shared Client	Context/Zustand	Theme, cart

Rule: Prefer URL state for shareable/bookmarkable state.

9. DRY with createSafeAction

// lib/safe-action.ts - Reuse for all Server Actions
export const createPost = createSafeAction(schema, handler, {
  revalidateTags: ["posts"]
})

Eliminates duplicate auth/validation/error handling.

Anti-Patterns

Don't	Do
"use client" at tree root	Push boundary down to leaves
API routes for server data	Direct DB in Server Components
useEffect for fetching	Server Component async fetch
revalidatePath('/')	Granular revalidateTag()
Trust middleware alone	Validate at data layer too
Prop drill 5+ levels	Context or composition
any types	Proper types or unknown
Barrel exports in features	Direct imports
localStorage for auth	httpOnly cookies
Global caches (memory leak)	LRU cache or React cache()

Middleware: Deny by Default

// middleware.ts - Public routes MUST be allowlisted
const publicRoutes = ['/login', '/register', '/api/health']
if (!publicRoutes.some(r => pathname.startsWith(r))) {
  // Require auth
}

CRITICAL: Upgrade to Next.js 15.2.3+ (CVE-2025-29927 fix).

Scripts

Script	Purpose
scripts/scaffold_route.py	Generate route folder w/ all files

Templates

File	Purpose
templates/page.tsx	Standard async page
templates/layout.tsx	Layout w/ metadata
templates/action.ts	7-step secure Server Action
templates/loading.tsx	Loading UI skeleton
templates/error.tsx	Error boundary

Assets

File	Purpose
assets/next.config.ts	Production config w/ security headers
assets/middleware.ts	Deny-by-default auth (Next.js 15)
assets/proxy.ts	Deny-by-default auth (Next.js 16+)

Quick Reference: Senior Code Review

Before merging any PR, verify:

Performance

• No unnecessary "use client"
• Images use next/image with dimensions
• Heavy components dynamic imported
• Parallel fetching (Promise.all)

Security

• Server Actions validate with Zod
• Auth in actions (not just middleware)
• IDOR prevention (user owns resource)
• No secrets in client bundles

Architecture

• Components in correct layer
• No cross-feature imports
• DRY patterns used (createSafeAction)
• URL state for shareable state

Quality

• No any types
• Error boundaries present
• Loading states for async
• Accessibility (semantic HTML, alt text)