Next.js 14: What's New, Features, and Improvements

To make Next.js more developer-friendly, Vercel released Next.js 14 on 26 October 2023. What exciting new features have been added in Next.js 14 Let’s take a look at them one by one.

There’s Turbopack in Next.js 14 that speeds up local development. 53% faster local server startup and ~ 95% faster code updates were done by this Turbopack.

1. Turbopack for Faster Development

One of the standout features of Next.js 14 is Turbopack. It brings significant improvements to local server startup and code updates with Fast Refresh. Developers can expect up to a 53% faster local server startup and a remarkable 94% boost in code update speed. This is especially beneficial for large applications with complex module graphs, providing a smoother and more efficient development experience.

Example: To experience the faster development, you can upgrade to Next.js 14 and create a new project using the command: npx create-next-app@latest.

2. Server Actions for Backend Functionality

Next.js 14 introduces Server Actions, a powerful feature that simplifies the creation of API routes. It enables you to define functions that run securely on the server, eliminating the need for manual API route creation. This feature is built on web fundamentals like forms and the FormData Web API, making it accessible and user-friendly.

Example🔥: Instead of manually creating an API route, you can define a function that runs on the server and call it directly from your React components, as shown in the example in the Next.js documentation.

3. Partial Prerendering for Dynamic Content .

Partial Prerendering is a compiler optimization that enhances the performance of dynamic content. It combines the benefits of server-side rendering (SSR) and static-site generation (SSG) without introducing complexity. This feature streamlines the rendering process and reduces the need for multiple runtimes and configurations.

Example🔥: Partial Prerendering generates a static shell based on Suspense boundaries, replacing fallbacks with dynamic components. This allows for fast initial static responses without additional network roundtrips.

4. Metadata Improvements

Next.js 14 improves metadata handling by decoupling blocking and non-blocking metadata. This ensures a smoother user experience by sending essential metadata about the viewport, color scheme, and theme before rendering the page. Deprecated metadata options have been replaced with new APIs, enhancing flexibility and performance.

Example🔥: You can adopt the new viewport and generateViewport options to control metadata, ensuring a more efficient loading process.

In Conclusion:

Next.js 14 brings a range of exciting features and improvements that enhance the development experience for web developers. While there may be a learning curve and migration challenges, the benefits in terms of speed, efficiency, and user experience are worth the investment.

As with any new release, it's essential to explore and experiment with the new features to fully harness the power of Next.js 14 in your web development projects.

Stay updated with Next.js and explore the possibilities it offers for your next web application and you can see more about next.js :

Update System Routing in Next.js 13.2,

Next.js & React.js: Useful Blogs & Articles