Static Rendering in Next.js: The Ultimate Guide

Introduction

In modern web development, performance and user experience are key. Slow-loading pages and poor SEO can negatively impact your website’s success. This is where static rendering in Next.js comes into play. If you’re building a website that doesn’t require real-time updates for every user visit, static rendering can be a game-changer.

In this guide, we’ll explore what static rendering is, how it works in Next.js, its benefits, and real-world use cases to help you implement it effectively.

What is Static Rendering?

Static rendering, also known as Static Site Generation (SSG), is a pre-rendering method where HTML files are generated at build time. Unlike traditional server-side rendering (SSR), static rendering ensures that your pages load instantly since they don’t rely on server requests for every visit.

With static rendering in Next.js, pages are pre-built and served as static files. This means the page content remains the same for all users unless re-deployed or regenerated.

How Static Rendering Works in Next.js

Next.js provides getStaticProps and getStaticPaths functions to enable static rendering. These functions help in fetching data at build time and generating static HTML files.

getStaticProps: Fetching Static Data

export async function getStaticProps() {
  const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/posts');
  const posts = await res.json();

  return {
    props: { posts },
  };
}

getStaticPaths: Handling Dynamic Routes

If you’re working with dynamic routes, use getStaticPaths to define which paths should be pre-rendered at build time.

export async function getStaticPaths() {
  const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/posts');
  const posts = await res.json();

  const paths = posts.map((post) => ({
    params: { id: post.id.toString() },
  }));

  return { paths, fallback: false };
}

Complete Example: Static Blog Page

import React from 'react';

export default function Blog({ posts }) {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Blog Posts</h1>
      <ul>
        {posts.map((post) => (
          <li key={post.id}>{post.title}</li>
        ))}
      </ul>
    </div>
  );
}

export async function getStaticProps() {
  const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/posts');
  const posts = await res.json();
  return { props: { posts } };
}

This code fetches data at build time and generates a static HTML page.

Why Use Static Rendering in Next.js?

1. Faster Load Times

Since the pages are pre-built and served as static files, they load almost instantly compared to SSR pages, which need to process requests dynamically.

2. Improved SEO

Search engines love static pages because they are fast and easily crawlable. This boosts your website’s search rankings.

3. Scalability

With static pages, you don’t need a backend server to process requests. Your website can handle high traffic loads effortlessly.

4. Reduced Server Costs

Since pages are pre-built and served via CDNs, you save on backend infrastructure and database queries, reducing operational costs.

5. Enhanced Security

Static pages eliminate common security risks like database injections, making your application more secure.

When to Use Static Rendering?

✅ Best Use Cases

Blog websites
Marketing & landing pages
Documentation sites
Portfolio websites
E-commerce product pages (when data doesn’t change frequently)

❌ When Not to Use It

Real-time dashboards
Highly personalized user experiences
Applications requiring live data (e.g., chat apps)

Hybrid Rendering: The Best of Both Worlds

Sometimes, you might need some pages static and others dynamic. Next.js allows you to combine SSG with Server-Side Rendering (SSR) and Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR).

SSG (Static Site Generation): Pre-builds pages for fast delivery.
SSR (Server-Side Rendering): Fetches fresh data on each request.
ISR (Incremental Static Regeneration): Updates static pages without a full rebuild.

For example, you can set a revalidation period using ISR:

export async function getStaticProps() {
  const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/posts');
  const posts = await res.json();

  return {
    props: { posts },
    revalidate: 10, // Regenerates page every 10 seconds
  };
}

This approach allows you to enjoy the benefits of static pages while ensuring that the content remains up-to-date.

Deploying a Static Next.js Website

To deploy a static Next.js site, follow these steps:

1. Build Your Application

next build

2. Export Static Files

next export

This generates a out/ folder with all static files.

3. Deploy to a Static Hosting Provider

Vercel (Recommended)
Netlify
GitHub Pages
AWS S3 + CloudFront
Firebase Hosting

Example deployment using Vercel:

npm install -g vercel
vercel

Final Thoughts

Static rendering in Next.js is a powerful technique that enhances performance, SEO, and scalability. By pre-generating pages at build time, you can deliver a blazing-fast user experience without burdening your server. Whether you’re building a blog, an e-commerce site, or a marketing page, static rendering ensures that your users get instant page loads with minimal backend dependencies.

If your project involves frequent content updates, consider using Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) to keep your pages fresh without full redeployment.

Now it’s your turn! Try implementing static rendering in your Next.js project and experience the difference firsthand.

What’s Next?

If you found this tutorial helpful, check out our other Next.js guides:

Server-Side Rendering (SSR) in Next.js
Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) Explained
Next.js vs. React: Which One to Choose?

Read other awesome articles in Medium.com or in akcoding’s posts.

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