streaming-api-patterns

Real-time streaming uses Server-Sent Events (SSE) for one-way server-to-client delivery, WebSockets for bidirectional communication, or ReadableStream APIs for efficient data processing. Choose SSE for notifications and LLM responses, WebSockets for chat and collaborative editing, or Streams for handling backpressure on large datasets.

Server-Sent Events (SSE) provides one-way streaming from server to client, ideal for notifications and AI responses. WebSockets enable bidirectional communication over a single persistent connection, suited for chat applications and live collaboration where the client must also send data back to the server.

ReadableStream APIs manage backpressure by pausing data flow when the consumer cannot keep up, preventing memory overflow. This ensures efficient processing of large streams while maintaining system stability across long-running tasks and high-volume data feeds.

Yes. Next.js supports Server-Sent Events endpoints for streaming notifications and LLM responses, and can proxy WebSocket connections for bidirectional real-time communication. Use API routes for SSE endpoints and compatible libraries for WebSocket integration.

Reconnection strategies vary by protocol: SSE clients can automatically retry with configurable backoff; WebSocket implementations require manual reconnection logic with exponential backoff and state recovery. Implement heartbeats to detect stale connections early and prevent silent failures.

Server-Sent Events (SSE) is optimal for token-by-token AI response streaming, delivering low-latency, responsive output without the overhead of WebSocket connection setup. SSE provides simple server implementation and native browser support for unidirectional streaming use cases.