Build with Next.js without memorising magic.
A field guide to the decisions that matter: where code runs, what crosses the server-client boundary, how routes are composed, when data is reused, and what actually reaches the browser.
Updated September 2026105 min read
By the end, you should be able to explain where code runs, choose a rendering and caching strategy, protect a mutation, design resilient routes, and ship pages that both people and search engines can understand.
From request to production.
02
Architecture
Separate server work, browser interaction, and streamed data.
2 chapters05
Product essentials
Build forms, configuration, accessibility, and locale support into the product.
4 chaptersBegin with the mental model.
The first chapter gives every later API a place to fit. If you already build with the App Router, jump to caching or security and use the sidebar as your map.
Start chapter one