Next.js Best Practices (App Router)

Next.js is a library that changes frequently - use web search or context7 MCP (via DocsExplorer agent) for exploring the current documentation.

Routing & Structure

• Use the App Router in

  app/

  for new work
• Use nested layouts and route groups to organize sections
• Keep server components as the default; add

  'use client'

  only where needed

Data Fetching & Caching

• Fetch data in React Server Components - AVOID fetching via

  useEffect()

  and

  fetch()

• Use server actions ("Server Functions") for mutations, potentially in conjunction with React Hooks like

  useActionState

UI States

• Provide

  loading.tsx

  and

  error.tsx

  for route-level UX
• Use

  Suspense

  boundaries around async UI

Metadata & SEO

• Use the Metadata API in layouts and pages
• Prefer static metadata when possible; keep dynamic metadata minimal