What is Server-Side Rendering? - Explanation & Meaning
Learn what Server-Side Rendering (SSR) is, how pages are rendered on the server with Next.js and Nuxt, and the SEO and performance benefits SSR provides.
Definition
Server-Side Rendering (SSR) is a technique where web pages are rendered to complete HTML on the server before being sent to the browser, making content immediately visible to users and search engines.
Technical explanation
With SSR, the server generates the full HTML of a page on every incoming request by fetching data, rendering templates, and sending the result to the client. In modern frameworks like Next.js, this happens via React Server Components or the getServerSideProps function that fetches data and passes it to React components rendered to HTML on the server. After the browser receives the HTML, hydration occurs: React attaches event handlers and interactive logic to the existing DOM without re-rendering it. Streaming SSR, introduced with React 18, sends HTML in chunks as components are ready, significantly improving Time to First Byte and Largest Contentful Paint. The Next.js App Router leverages React Server Components to render on the server by default and selectively add client-side interactivity. SSR requires a Node.js server or edge runtime, which entails more infrastructure and cost than static hosting. Caching strategies via CDNs and stale-while-revalidate headers can significantly reduce server load while delivering fresh content.
How MG Software applies this
MG Software applies SSR via Next.js for pages that show dynamic, personalized content while needing strong SEO. We use streaming SSR and React Server Components to achieve the fastest possible load times. Edge rendering via Vercel brings the server closer to the end user.
Practical examples
- A news website using Next.js SSR to render the latest article on every request, so search engines always index current content and users immediately see the headline.
- A SaaS dashboard platform that server-side renders personalized data based on the logged-in user, ensuring sensitive information never ends up in the client-side bundle.
- An e-commerce product page that shows real-time stock information and pricing via SSR while the page is fully visible to the visitor within one second.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
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