---

name: nextjs description: Next.js 16 patterns for App Router, Server/Client Components, proxy.ts authentication, data fetching, caching, and React Server Components. Use when building Next.js applications with modern patterns.

Next.js 16 Skill

Modern Next.js patterns for App Router, Server Components, and the new proxy.ts authentication pattern.

Quick Start

Installation

# npm
npx create-next-app@latest my-app

# pnpm
pnpm create next-app my-app

# yarn
yarn create next-app my-app

# bun
bun create next-app my-app

App Router Structure

app/
├── layout.tsx          # Root layout
├── page.tsx            # Home page
├── proxy.ts            # Auth proxy (replaces middleware.ts)
├── (auth)/
│   ├── login/page.tsx
│   └── register/page.tsx
├── (dashboard)/
│   ├── layout.tsx
│   └── page.tsx
├── api/
│   └── [...route]/route.ts
└── globals.css

Key Concepts

Concept	Guide
Dynamic Routes (Async Params)	reference/dynamic-routes.md
Server vs Client Components	reference/components.md
proxy.ts (Auth)	reference/proxy.md
Data Fetching	reference/data-fetching.md
Caching	reference/caching.md
Route Handlers	reference/route-handlers.md

Examples

Pattern	Guide
Authentication Flow	examples/authentication.md
Protected Routes	examples/protected-routes.md
Forms & Actions	examples/forms-actions.md
API Integration	examples/api-integration.md

Templates

Template	Purpose
templates/proxy.ts	Auth proxy template
templates/layout.tsx	Root layout with providers
templates/page.tsx	Page component template

BREAKING CHANGES in Next.js 15/16

1. Async Params & SearchParams

IMPORTANT: params and searchParams are now Promises and MUST be awaited.

// OLD (Next.js 14) - DO NOT USE
export default function Page({ params }: { params: { id: string } }) {
  return <div>Post {params.id}</div>;
}

// NEW (Next.js 15/16) - USE THIS
export default async function Page({
  params,
}: {
  params: Promise<{ id: string }>;
}) {
  const { id } = await params;
  return <div>Post {id}</div>;
}

Dynamic Route Examples

// app/posts/[id]/page.tsx
export default async function PostPage({
  params,
}: {
  params: Promise<{ id: string }>;
}) {
  const { id } = await params;
  const post = await getPost(id);

  return <article>{post.title}</article>;
}

// app/posts/[id]/edit/page.tsx - Nested dynamic route
export default async function EditPostPage({
  params,
}: {
  params: Promise<{ id: string }>;
}) {
  const { id } = await params;
  // ...
}

// app/[category]/[slug]/page.tsx - Multiple params
export default async function Page({
  params,
}: {
  params: Promise<{ category: string; slug: string }>;
}) {
  const { category, slug } = await params;
  // ...
}

SearchParams (Query String)

// app/search/page.tsx
export default async function SearchPage({
  searchParams,
}: {
  searchParams: Promise<{ q?: string; page?: string }>;
}) {
  const { q, page } = await searchParams;
  const results = await search(q, Number(page) || 1);

  return <SearchResults results={results} />;
}

Layout with Params

// app/posts/[id]/layout.tsx
export default async function PostLayout({
  children,
  params,
}: {
  children: React.ReactNode;
  params: Promise<{ id: string }>;
}) {
  const { id } = await params;

  return (
    <div>
      <nav>Post {id}</nav>
      {children}
    </div>
  );
}

generateMetadata with Async Params

// app/posts/[id]/page.tsx
import { Metadata } from "next";

export async function generateMetadata({
  params,
}: {
  params: Promise<{ id: string }>;
}): Promise<Metadata> {
  const { id } = await params;
  const post = await getPost(id);

  return {
    title: post.title,
    description: post.excerpt,
  };
}

generateStaticParams

// app/posts/[id]/page.tsx
export async function generateStaticParams() {
  const posts = await getPosts();

  return posts.map((post) => ({
    id: post.id.toString(),
  }));
}

2. proxy.ts Replaces middleware.ts

IMPORTANT: Next.js 16 replaces middleware.ts with proxy.ts. The proxy runs on Node.js runtime (not Edge).

// app/proxy.ts
import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from "next/server";

export function proxy(request: NextRequest) {
  const { pathname } = request.nextUrl;

  // Check auth for protected routes
  const token = request.cookies.get("better-auth.session_token");

  if (pathname.startsWith("/dashboard") && !token) {
    return NextResponse.redirect(new URL("/login", request.url));
  }

  return NextResponse.next();
}

export const config = {
  matcher: ["/dashboard/:path*", "/api/:path*"],
};

Server Components (Default)

// app/posts/page.tsx - Server Component by default
async function PostsPage() {
  const posts = await fetch("https://api.example.com/posts", {
    cache: "force-cache", // or "no-store"
  }).then(res => res.json());

  return (
    <ul>
      {posts.map((post) => (
        <li key={post.id}>{post.title}</li>
      ))}
    </ul>
  );
}

export default PostsPage;

Client Components

"use client";

import { useState } from "react";

export function Counter() {
  const [count, setCount] = useState(0);

  return (
    <button onClick={() => setCount(count + 1)}>
      Count: {count}
    </button>
  );
}

Server Actions

// app/actions.ts
"use server";

import { revalidatePath } from "next/cache";

export async function createPost(formData: FormData) {
  const title = formData.get("title") as string;

  await db.post.create({ data: { title } });

  revalidatePath("/posts");
}

// app/posts/new/page.tsx
import { createPost } from "../actions";

export default function NewPostPage() {
  return (
    <form action={createPost}>
      <input name="title" placeholder="Post title" />
      <button type="submit">Create</button>
    </form>
  );
}

Data Fetching Patterns

Parallel Data Fetching

async function Page() {
  const [user, posts] = await Promise.all([
    getUser(),
    getPosts(),
  ]);

  return <Dashboard user={user} posts={posts} />;
}

Sequential Data Fetching

async function Page() {
  const user = await getUser();
  const posts = await getUserPosts(user.id);

  return <Dashboard user={user} posts={posts} />;
}

Environment Variables

# .env.local
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://...
BETTER_AUTH_SECRET=your-secret
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=http://localhost:8000

• NEXT_PUBLIC_* - Exposed to browser
• Without prefix - Server-only

Common Patterns

Layout with Auth Provider

// app/layout.tsx
import { AuthProvider } from "@/components/auth-provider";

export default function RootLayout({
  children,
}: {
  children: React.ReactNode;
}) {
  return (
    <html lang="en">
      <body>
        <AuthProvider>{children}</AuthProvider>
      </body>
    </html>
  );
}

Loading States

// app/posts/loading.tsx
export default function Loading() {
  return <div>Loading posts...</div>;
}

Error Handling

// app/posts/error.tsx
"use client";

export default function Error({
  error,
  reset,
}: {
  error: Error;
  reset: () => void;
}) {
  return (
    <div>
      <h2>Something went wrong!</h2>
      <button onClick={() => reset()}>Try again</button>
    </div>
  );
}