Most common Next.js interview questions

Ahmed Saber
2 min readMar 25, 2023

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In this article, I will try to include some of the most common Next.js interview questions with their answers.

1. What is Next.js?
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Next.js is an open-source framework for building server-side rendered React applications, providing features such as automatic code splitting, server-side rendering, and static site generation.

2. What is the purpose of server-side rendering in Next.js?
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Server-side rendering in Next.js is used to improve the performance and SEO of a React application by rendering the initial HTML on the server and sending it to the client, reducing the time-to-first-byte and improving the search engine visibility.

3. What is the difference between client-side rendering and server-side rendering in Next.js?
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Client-side rendering in Next.js is the default behavior, where the HTML and JavaScript are sent to the client and rendered in the browser, while server-side rendering is an optional feature that renders the initial HTML on the server and sends it to the client.

4. What is the purpose of automatic code splitting in Next.js?
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Automatic code splitting in Next.js is used to improve the performance of a React application by splitting the code into smaller chunks that can be loaded separately, reducing the initial download time and improving the page load speed.

5. What is the purpose of static site generation in Next.js?
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Static site generation in Next.js is used to generate static HTML files at build time, allowing for faster page loads and improved SEO.

6. What is the difference between getServerSideProps and getStaticProps in Next.js?
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getServerSideProps is a function in Next.js used to fetch data on the server and pass it to the component as props, while getStaticProps is a similar function used to fetch data at build time and generate static HTML pages.

7. What is the purpose of the _app.js file in Next.js?
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The _app.js file in Next.js is used to customize the behavior of the entire application, such as adding global CSS styles or setting up a custom error handling.

8. What is the purpose of the _document.js file in Next.js?
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The _document.js file in Next.js is used to customize the HTML document that is sent to the client, such as adding meta tags or styling the body.

9. What is the purpose of the useRouter() hook in Next.js?
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The useRouter() hook in Next.js is used to access the router object and its properties, such as the current URL or query parameters.

10. What is the purpose of the dynamic() function in Next.js?
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The dynamic() function in Next.js is used to load components lazily, allowing for smaller initial bundle sizes and faster page loads.

That’s all, now you have good knowledge about the most common Next.js questions being asked in interviews.

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