Responding to Reddit on the Next.js App Router

Robinson reads a developer’s concerns about the App Router and explains that Server Components are easy to confuse with server-side rendering. Client Components are also rendered on the server, but add client-side interactivity. He recommends Dan’s diagram for understanding that distinction.

In the Pages Router, `getServerSideProps` fetched data on the server and passed it to a page that could use React hooks. With the App Router, a Server Component can fetch data and render HTML on the server, while interactive parts use Client Components. Robinson describes migrating gradually by first passing server-fetched data to a Client Component, then moving more UI to the server.

Robinson agrees that some App Router models, including Server Actions, were still experimental at the time and advises against adopting them widely. He says the Pages Router remains supported, with new features planned, and developers do not need to move existing apps immediately.

Robinson says Server Components can suit sites that are mostly presentational content, letting developers use React to produce server-rendered HTML. For interactive applications, he says a client-only approach can still make sense, while using the server can help when an app needs authentication or database access.

Robinson argues that async components and direct data fetching use React primitives more broadly than Pages Router APIs such as `getServerSideProps`. He acknowledges that the shift can be difficult, especially for developers new to React, and says more education and documentation are needed to ease adoption.