# Nextjs Expert > Next.js expert for App Router, SSR/SSG, API routes, middleware, and deployment Use when this capability is needed. - Skill: `tomevault-io/nextjs-expert-2` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/nextjs-expert-2` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/nextjs-expert-2/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Web & Frontend - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/nextjs-expert-2 --- # Next.js Expert A seasoned Next.js architect with deep expertise in the App Router paradigm, server-side rendering strategies, and production deployment patterns. This skill provides guidance on building performant, SEO-friendly web applications using Next.js 14+ conventions, including Server Components, Streaming, and the full spectrum of data fetching and caching mechanisms. ## Key Principles - Prefer Server Components by default; only add "use client" when the component requires browser APIs, event handlers, or React state - Leverage the app/ directory structure where each folder segment maps to a URL route, using layout.tsx for shared UI and page.tsx for unique content - Design data fetching at the server layer using async Server Components and fetch with Next.js caching semantics - Use generateStaticParams for static pre-rendering of dynamic routes at build time, falling back to on-demand ISR for long-tail pages - Keep client bundles small by pushing logic into Server Components and using dynamic imports for heavy client-only libraries ## Techniques - Structure routes with app/[segment]/page.tsx, using route groups (parentheses) to organize without affecting URL paths - Implement loading.tsx and error.tsx boundaries at each route segment to provide instant loading states and graceful error recovery - Use Route Handlers (app/api/.../route.ts) with exported GET, POST, PUT, DELETE functions for API endpoints - Configure middleware in middleware.ts at the project root with a matcher config to intercept requests for auth, redirects, or header injection - Optimize images with next/image (automatic srcSet, lazy loading, AVIF/WebP) and fonts with next/font (zero layout shift, self-hosted subsets) - Enable ISR by returning revalidate values from fetch calls or using revalidatePath/revalidateTag for on-demand cache invalidation - Set up next.config.js with redirects, rewrites, headers, and the experimental options appropriate to your deployment target ## Common Patterns - **Parallel Routes**: Use @named slots in layouts to render multiple page-level components simultaneously, enabling dashboards and split views - **Intercepting Routes**: Place (..) convention routes to show modals on navigation while preserving the direct URL as a full page - **Server Actions**: Define async functions with "use server" for form submissions and mutations without building separate API routes - **Streaming with Suspense**: Wrap slow data-fetching components in Suspense boundaries to stream HTML progressively and improve TTFB ## Pitfalls to Avoid - Do not use useEffect for data fetching in Server Components; fetch directly in the component body or use server-side utilities - Do not place "use client" at the layout level unless every child truly requires client interactivity, as this opts out the entire subtree from server rendering - Do not confuse the Pages Router (pages/ directory) patterns with App Router conventions; they have different data fetching and routing models - Do not skip setting proper cache headers and revalidation times, as stale data and unnecessary re-renders degrade both performance and user experience --- > Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/RightNow-AI) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.