Skip to main content

Different Rendering Techniques

1. Client-Side Rendering (CSR)​

Theory​

Client-Side Rendering (CSR) means that the browser initially loads a minimal HTML file with an empty <div>. JavaScript (typically React, Vue, or Angular) then runs on the client side to fetch data and dynamically render the content.

How It Works?​

  1. The browser loads an empty HTML shell.
  2. JavaScript fetches data from an API.
  3. The frontend framework (React, Vue, etc.) updates the DOM dynamically.

Use Cases​

✅ Interactive applications (e.g., dashboards, single-page applications).
✅ Web apps with frequent user interactions.
✅ Cases where SEO is not a priority.

Limitations​

❌ Slower first-page load due to JavaScript execution.
❌ Bad for SEO if search engines cannot parse JavaScript properly.

2. Server-Side Rendering (SSR)​

Theory​

Server-Side Rendering (SSR) means that the HTML is pre-generated on the server and sent to the client. The JavaScript then hydrates the page for interactivity.

How It Works?​

  1. The client requests a page.
  2. The server renders the full HTML with data.
  3. The browser receives the rendered HTML and displays it immediately.
  4. JavaScript loads to make the page interactive (hydration).

Use Cases​

✅ Improves SEO (since HTML content is available upfront).
✅ Faster first-paint for performance-focused applications.
✅ News websites, blogs, e-commerce sites.

Limitations​

❌ Increased server load compared to CSR.
❌ More complex implementation.

3. Static Site Generation (SSG)​

Theory​

Static Site Generation (SSG) generates static HTML pages at build time, meaning content is pre-built and served as static files.

How It Works?​

  1. At build time, all pages are pre-rendered into static HTML.
  2. When a user requests a page, the static file is served instantly.

Use Cases​

✅ Best for SEO and performance.
✅ Blogs, landing pages, marketing websites.
✅ Content that doesn’t change frequently.

Limitations​

❌ Requires rebuilding the entire site for content updates.
❌ Not ideal for highly dynamic content.

4. Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR)​

Theory​

ISR is an advanced version of SSG that allows static pages to be rebuilt incrementally instead of regenerating the entire site.

How It Works?​

  1. Pre-renders static pages at build time.
  2. When data updates, only the affected pages are re-generated.

Use Cases​

✅ Best for SEO with dynamic content.
✅ Blogs, news sites, product pages that update occasionally.

Limitations​

❌ More complex setup than SSG.

5. Progressive Hydration​

Theory​

Progressive Hydration delays JavaScript execution, allowing the page to load quickly and then become interactive in phases.

Use Cases​

✅ Large-scale applications where performance is critical.
✅ Complex interactive UIs where a full hydration delay would hurt UX.

Limitations​

❌ Requires careful optimization and testing.

Comparison Table​

TechniqueFirst Load SpeedSEOBest Use Case
CSRSlowPoorInteractive SPAs
SSRFastGoodBlogs, E-commerce
SSGVery FastExcellentStatic websites
ISRFastExcellentDynamic blogs, news
Progressive HydrationFastGoodComplex apps

🚀 Conclusion The choice of rendering technique depends on the application’s needs. CSR is good for interactivity, SSR helps with SEO, SSG is great for static sites, and ISR is ideal for frequently updated content. Progressive Hydration optimizes performance for large applications.