The Shift to Server-First React

React Server Components (RSC) represent the most significant architectural shift in React since hooks. They allow components to render exclusively on the server, sending only the resulting HTML and minimal JavaScript to the client. At Nexis Limited, our website and several client projects use Next.js with Server Components as the default rendering model.

How Server Components Work

In the RSC model, components are server components by default. They run only on the server, can directly access databases and file systems, and produce zero client-side JavaScript. Client components are explicitly marked with the "use client" directive and include interactive features like event handlers, state, and effects.

Key Benefits

  • Smaller JavaScript bundles: Server components are not included in the client bundle. Data fetching logic, heavy dependencies (like date libraries or markdown parsers), and rendering code all stay on the server.
  • Direct data access: Server components can query databases, read files, or call internal APIs directly without creating API endpoints. This simplifies the data fetching layer dramatically.
  • Streaming and Suspense: Server components integrate naturally with React Suspense, enabling progressive rendering. Fast parts of the page render immediately while slower data-dependent sections stream in as they become available.
  • SEO-friendly by default: Since server components render on the server, all content is present in the initial HTML response, making it fully indexable by search engines.

When to Use Client Components

Use client components when you need:

  • Event handlers (onClick, onChange, onSubmit)
  • React state (useState, useReducer)
  • Lifecycle effects (useEffect)
  • Browser-only APIs (window, localStorage, IntersectionObserver)
  • Third-party libraries that use client-side features (animation libraries, form libraries)

Composition Pattern

The recommended pattern is to keep server components at the top of your component tree and push client components to the leaves. A page component (server) can fetch data and pass it as props to interactive client components. This minimizes the client-side JavaScript while maintaining interactivity where needed.

Data Fetching in Server Components

Server components can use async/await directly for data fetching. Combined with Next.js caching and revalidation, this provides a powerful data management model. Static data can be cached at build time, dynamic data can be revalidated at intervals, and sensitive data never leaves the server.

Conclusion

React Server Components are not just a performance optimization — they are a new mental model for building web applications. By defaulting to server rendering and opting into client interactivity only where needed, you get faster pages, smaller bundles, and simpler data fetching.

Building with React and Next.js? Our frontend team can help you adopt the latest patterns.