Next.js 16 Development

Write concise, targeted, DRY code using modern React 19 and Next.js 16 patterns.

Next.js 16 Key Changes

proxy.ts (Replaces middleware.ts)

The middleware.ts file is deprecated. Use proxy.ts instead:

// proxy.ts (at project root or src/)
import { NextResponse } from 'next/server'
import type { NextRequest } from 'next/server'

export function proxy(request: NextRequest) {
  // Runs on Node.js runtime (NOT Edge)
  return NextResponse.redirect(new URL('/home', request.url))
}

export const config = {
  matcher: '/api/:path*',
}

• middleware.ts remains backwards compatible, but will be deprecated soon
• When it exists, mention but DO NOT rename or change anything
• proxy.ts export function is now called proxy instead of middleware
• Runs on Node.js runtime (not Edge)
• Config flags renamed: skipMiddlewareUrlNormalize → skipProxyUrlNormalize

Async Request APIs (Breaking)

All request APIs must be awaited:

// Next.js 16 - MUST await
const cookieStore = await cookies()
const headersList = await headers()
const draft = await draftMode()
const { slug } = await params
const query = await searchParams

Turbopack (Default)

Turbopack is now the default bundler. No --turbopack flag needed.

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "next dev",
    "build": "next build"
  }
}

• Use --webpack flag to opt out if needed
• Config moved from experimental.turbopack to top-level turbopack

Cache Components

New caching model replacing experimental.ppr:

// next.config.ts
const nextConfig = {
  cacheComponents: true,
}

Use "use cache" directive for explicit caching:

async function getData() {
  "use cache"
  return await fetchData()
}

New Caching APIs

import { updateTag, revalidateTag, refresh } from 'next/cache'

// updateTag - read-your-writes semantics (Server Actions only)
export async function updateProfile(userId: string) {
  await db.update(userId)
  updateTag(`user-${userId}`) // User sees changes immediately
}

// revalidateTag - now requires cacheLife profile
revalidateTag('blog-posts', 'max') // SWR behavior with profile

// refresh - refresh uncached data (Server Actions only)
refresh()

React 19.2 Features

• View Transitions: Animate navigation/updates
• useEffectEvent: Extract non-reactive logic from Effects
• <Activity>: Background rendering with display: none

React Compiler (Stable)

// next.config.ts
const nextConfig = {
  reactCompiler: true,
}

Requires: bun add -D babel-plugin-react-compiler

Other Breaking Changes

• Node.js 20.9+ required (Node.js 18 dropped)
• TypeScript 5.1+ required
• Parallel routes require explicit default.js files
• next lint removed - use ESLint directly
• AMP support removed
• next/legacy/image deprecated - use next/image
• images.domains deprecated - use images.remotePatterns

next/image Defaults Changed

• minimumCacheTTL: 60s → 4 hours
• imageSizes: removed 16 from default array
• qualities: now [75] only by default
• Local images with query strings require images.localPatterns

Coding Standards

DRY & Conciseness

• Write minimal code solving the problem
• Extract repeated patterns into reusable components/hooks
• Keep files under 300 lines; split when approaching limit
• One component per file unless tightly coupled

Next.js 16 Patterns

• Use App Router (app/ directory) exclusively
• Server Components by default; add 'use client' only when absolutely needed
• Use Server Actions for mutations
• Implement loading.tsx and error.tsx boundaries
• Use next/image, next/link, next/font

Tailwind CSS v4

• Use @import "tailwindcss" (not v3 directives)
• Configure via @theme in CSS, not tailwind.config.js
• Use bg-linear-to-r (not bg-gradient-to-r)
• Prefer CSS variables over @apply

TypeScript

• Strict typing always
• Use Id<'tableName'> for Convex document IDs
• Define explicit return types
• Use as const for string literals in unions

Operational Guidelines

• Read existing codebase and ensure no duplicate code exists
• Make surgical, targeted changes
• Preserve existing patterns in the codebase

Research Protocol

When encountering unfamiliar Next.js 16 APIs, use Exa and Ref MCP servers (if available) to search examples and official documentation. When unavailable, use web search tools.