next-best-practices

Next.js file conventions standardize directory structures and route handlers to create maintainable API endpoints. Using `route.ts` files properly separates server-side logic from rendering components, ensuring clean data fetching patterns across your application architecture.

RSC boundaries separate Server and Client Components using React directives to manage execution context. Correctly structuring these boundaries prevents invalid component patterns, isolating server-side data fetching from client-side interactivity for optimal rendering performance.

Runtime selection in Next.js depends on your API workload requirements, choosing between Node.js for heavy processing and Edge for low-latency responses. Evaluating route handler constraints helps determine the optimal execution environment for your data patterns.

Async patterns in Next.js 15 utilize updated APIs for handling asynchronous data fetching operations. Implementing correct async patterns in Server Components ensures stable data streams and prevents waterfall requests across your component boundaries.

Parallel and intercepting routes enable complex modal patterns by rendering multiple route segments simultaneously within the Next.js file convention system. Intercepting routes capture navigation events to render modals without losing the current page context.

Self-hosting Next.js outside of Vercel requires configuring your Node.js server environment to handle runtime selection and route handlers independently. Proper setup ensures data patterns and RSC boundaries function correctly on your custom infrastructure.