What is Server-Side Rendering with Hydration?
What is server-side rendering with hydration?
Server–side rendering (SSR) is a process of rendering HTML pages on the server before they are sent to the client. This allows for faster page loading times and better performance since the HTML content is already pre–rendered. It also allows for improved SEO since search engines can crawl and index the rendered HTML pages more easily.
Hydration is a process that occurs after an initial server–side render of a page. The hydration process takes the static HTML page and adds dynamic, interactive elements such as React components, JavaScript functions, or other dynamic features. This allows for an interactive experience without having to reload the page each time a user interacts with it.
Server–side rendering with hydration combines both processes to provide a fast, dynamic experience for users. With SSR, an initial render of an HTML page is done on the server before it is sent to the client. This provides quick loading times and improved SEO. Then, with hydration, dynamic elements are added to create an interactive experience without having to reload the page each time a user interacts with it.
Overall, server–side rendering with hydration provides faster loading times and improved SEO while still providing users with an interactive experience on their web pages.
Potential pitfalls?
There are some potential problems that can arise when using server-side rendering with hydration to build a website.
Not all browsers support the use of server-side rendering and hydration. If the server-side render is not correctly implemented, then some dynamic elements may not be properly added during the hydration process. This could lead to unexpected errors or issues for users.
Typically, server-side rendering with hydration requires more resources than client-side rendering. This can lead to increased costs for hosting as well as increased development time due to the complexity involved in setting up SSR and hydration.
Finally, it is important to ensure that your website is optimized for both mobile devices and desktop computers. This means ensuring that your HTML page is correctly rendered on both platforms in order for the hydration process to work. If this isn’t done then some dynamic elements may not be displayed on certain devices.
Should I be using SSR on my site?
Google recommends SSR for effective crawling and indexing of your web pages. If you have an AJAX application and are struggling to get content indexed then an SSR solution for those JavaScript components should be the first port of call.
