Next.js 16 Expert
Production-ready React framework with Server Components, streaming, and Turbopack.
Agent Workflow (MANDATORY)
Before ANY implementation, use TeamCreate to spawn 3 agents:
- fuse-ai-pilot:explore-codebase - Analyze existing routes, components, and patterns
- fuse-ai-pilot:research-expert - Verify latest Next.js 16 docs via Context7/Exa
- mcp__context7__query-docs - Check breaking changes v15→v16
After implementation, run fuse-ai-pilot:sniper for validation.
Overview
When to Use
- Building new React applications with server-first architecture
- Need Server Components for optimal performance and SEO
- Implementing streaming and progressive rendering
- Migrating from Next.js 14/15 to version 16
- Using proxy.ts for route protection (replaces middleware)
- Leveraging Turbopack for faster development builds
Why Next.js 16
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Turbopack default | 2-5x faster builds, 10x faster HMR, Webpack deprecated |
| Cache Components | Explicit caching with use cache directive |
| proxy.ts | Full Node.js runtime, replaces Edge middleware |
| React Compiler | Automatic memoization, no manual useMemo/useCallback |
| React 19 | View Transitions, useEffectEvent, Activity component |
| App Router | Nested layouts, parallel routes, intercepting routes |
Breaking Changes from v15
Critical Migration Points
- proxy.ts replaces middleware.ts - Full Node.js runtime, not Edge
- Turbopack ONLY - Webpack completely deprecated and removed
use cachedirective - Replaces Partial Prerendering (PPR)- React 19 required - New hooks and View Transitions API
- Async params/searchParams - Must await dynamic route params
SOLID Architecture
Module-Based Structure
Pages are thin entry points importing from feature modules:
app/page.tsx→ imports frommodules/public/home/app/dashboard/page.tsx→ imports frommodules/auth/dashboard/modules/cores/→ Shared services, utilities, configurations
File Conventions
- page.tsx - Route UI component
- layout.tsx - Shared UI wrapper
- loading.tsx - Suspense loading state
- error.tsx - Error boundary
- not-found.tsx - 404 handling
Core Concepts
Server Components (Default)
All components are Server Components by default. Use 'use client' directive only when needed for interactivity, hooks, or browser APIs.
Caching Strategy
use cache- Mark async functions for cachingcacheTag()- Tag cached data for targeted revalidationcacheLife()- Control cache duration (stale, revalidate, expire)revalidateTag()- Invalidate cached data on-demand
Data Fetching
Server Components fetch data directly. Use fetch() with native caching or database queries. No need for getServerSideProps or getStaticProps.
Reference Guide
| Need | Reference |
|---|---|
| Initial setup | installation.md, project-structure.md |
| Migration v15→v16 | upgrade.md, middleware-migration.md |
| Routing | app-router.md, routing-advanced.md |
| Caching | caching.md, cache-components.md |
| Server Components | server-components.md, directives.md |
| React 19 features | react-19.md, react-compiler.md |
| Route protection | proxy.md, security.md |
| SEO/Metadata | metadata.md, metadata-files.md |
| Forms/Actions | forms.md, data-fetching.md |
| Deployment | deployment.md, environment.md |
Best Practices
- Server Components first - Only add
'use client'when necessary - Colocate data fetching - Fetch data where it's used
- Streaming with Suspense - Wrap slow components in Suspense
- proxy.ts over middleware - Full Node.js runtime for auth
- Cache explicitly - Use
use cachefor expensive operations - Parallel routes - Load independent UI sections simultaneously
Performance
Build Optimization
- Turbopack - Incremental compilation, instant HMR
- React Compiler - Automatic memoization
- Tree shaking - Unused code elimination
- Code splitting - Automatic route-based splitting
Runtime Optimization
- Streaming - Progressive HTML rendering
- Partial hydration - Only hydrate interactive components
- Image optimization - Automatic WebP/AVIF conversion
- Font optimization - Zero layout shift with next/font