Next.js Data Fetching

Next.js App Router server components fetch data directly using async/await syntax. This approach retrieves data on the server before rendering, optimizing performance and SEO without requiring additional client-side fetching logic.

Control caching and revalidation in Next.js by leveraging the extended fetch API. You can configure granular caching behaviors—static, dynamic, or revalidated—directly within your fetch calls to manage how data is stored and refreshed.

You should use SWR or TanStack Query for client-side fetching in Next.js rather than useEffect. These libraries provide built-in caching, revalidation, and request deduplication, avoiding common anti-patterns associated with manual effect-based data fetching.

Parallel fetching in Next.js involves executing multiple data requests simultaneously to reduce load times. Request deduplication automatically merges identical fetch calls within a single render pass, preventing redundant network requests and optimizing server component data retrieval.

Streaming in Next.js server components allows you to progressively send UI chunks to the client as data becomes available. This technique prevents the page from being blocked by slow data fetches, reducing initial load times and improving user experience.