How do you use webpack with server-side rendering and static site generation?

What are SSR and SSG?

SSR and SSG are ways of rendering your web pages on the server instead of the browser. SSR means that the server generates the HTML for each request dynamically, while SSG means that the server pre-renders the HTML for all possible routes at build time. Both methods can reduce the loading time, bandwidth, and JavaScript dependency of your web app, as well as make it more SEO-friendly and accessible.

How to set up webpack for SSR and SSG?

To use webpack with SSR and SSG, you need to create two separate configurations: one for the server-side code and one for the client-side code. The server-side configuration should target the node environment, use the node-externals plugin to avoid bundling node modules, and output a commonjs module. The client-side configuration should target the web environment, use the html-webpack-plugin to inject the bundled scripts into the HTML template, and output a umd module.

How to use webpack with SSR frameworks?

There are many frameworks that support SSR, such as Next.js, Nuxt.js, Gatsby, and React Server Components. Each framework has its own way of integrating webpack, but generally, they provide some options to customize the webpack configuration, such as modifying the existing config, extending it with plugins and loaders, or replacing it entirely. You can use these options to fine-tune your webpack settings for your specific needs and preferences.

How to use webpack with SSG frameworks?

Similarly, there are many frameworks that support SSG, such as Next.js, Nuxt.js, Gatsby, and Eleventy. These frameworks also offer some ways to adjust the webpack configuration, but they also have some additional features that make SSG easier and faster, such as generating static HTML files, caching and incremental builds, and deploying to various hosting services. You can use these features to optimize your SSG workflow and output.

How to optimize webpack for SSR and SSG?

Using webpack with SSR and SSG can bring some challenges and trade-offs, such as managing code splitting, hydration, and revalidation. To optimize your webpack performance and avoid potential pitfalls, you can utilize dynamic imports and the splitChunks plugin to create smaller and more efficient bundles for different routes and components. Additionally, the webpack-node-utils library can help simplify the server-side bundle process, while the webpack-manifest-plugin generates a manifest file that maps entry points to output files, which is useful for asset management and caching. Furthermore, the webpack-bundle-analyzer plugin visualizes and analyzes bundle size and composition to help identify and eliminate unnecessary or redundant code.

Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?