What is Next.js? - Definition & Meaning

Definition

Next.js is an open-source React framework developed by Vercel that provides server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), and incremental static regeneration (ISR). It simplifies building fast, SEO-friendly web applications with a production-ready configuration out of the box.

Technical explanation

Next.js extends React with a powerful file-system-based routing architecture. The App Router (from Next.js 13+) introduces React Server Components that render on the server by default, drastically reducing the client bundle size. Data fetching is handled through async Server Components or route handlers. Next.js supports multiple rendering strategies: SSR for dynamic content on every request, SSG for static pages at build time, ISR for periodically regenerating static pages, and client-side rendering where needed. The built-in Image component automatically optimizes images with lazy loading, responsive sizes, and WebP conversion. API Routes allow creating serverless API endpoints within the same project. Middleware runs on the Edge and can intercept requests for authentication, redirects, or A/B testing. Next.js also provides automatic code splitting, font optimization, and built-in support for CSS Modules, Tailwind CSS, and internationalization.

How MG Software applies this

Next.js is MG Software's primary framework for building web applications. We use the App Router with React Server Components for optimal performance and SEO. For our clients, we build marketing websites, SaaS dashboards, customer portals, and e-commerce platforms with it. We combine Next.js with Tailwind CSS for styling, Supabase or PostgreSQL for data, and deploy via Vercel or Docker containers. This landing page itself is also built with Next.js.

Practical examples

• A SaaS company using Next.js for both their marketing website (statically generated for SEO) and their application dashboard (server-side rendered for real-time data) within a single codebase.
• An e-commerce platform using Next.js ISR to regenerate product pages every five minutes, ensuring price changes are visible quickly without rebuilding the entire site.
• A news website using Next.js Server Components to render articles on the server, keeping initial load times under one second while maximizing SEO scores.

Related terms