Next.js Best Practices

App Router (v13+)

• Use Server Components by default
• Add 'use client' only when needed
• Use loading.tsx for loading states
• Use error.tsx for error boundaries
• Use layout.tsx for shared layouts
• Use route groups (folder) for organization

Data Fetching

• Fetch in Server Components when possible
• Use React Suspense for streaming
• Use generateStaticParams for static generation
• Use revalidate for ISR
• Use Next.js cache() for request deduplication

Performance

• Use next/image for optimized images
• Use next/font for font optimization
• Use next/link for client-side navigation
• Implement proper caching headers
• Use dynamic imports for code splitting

API Routes

• Use Route Handlers in app directory
• Validate inputs thoroughly
• Handle errors gracefully
• Use middleware for auth/logging

SEO

• Use generateMetadata for dynamic SEO
• Implement proper Open Graph tags
• Use semantic HTML
• Add structured data (JSON-LD)