How routing works in Next.js App Router

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Introduction: Alex’s Next Challenge

After successfully launching the “BookNook” website, Alex receives positive feedback from both the bookstore owners and customers. The site is fast, SEO-friendly, and accessible, thanks to Next.js. But the journey doesn’t end here. As BookNook’s popularity grows, the team decides to expand the website’s features, adding personalized book recommendations, user profiles, and a community forum. To handle these new requirements efficiently, Alex decides to dive deeper into the Next.js 14 app router.

The app router in Next.js 14 introduces a new way of handling routing that’s even more powerful and flexible than before. It offers features like nested routes, layouts, loading states, and dynamic routing, all of which make building complex applications easier and more intuitive.

Setting the Stage: Understanding the App Router

Before diving into the features, Alex reviews the basics of routing in Next.js. In previous versions, routing was primarily handled through the pages directory. Each file within the pages directory represented a route, and Next.js automatically mapped these files to corresponding URLs. While this approach was simple and effective, the app router in Next.js 14 takes it to the next level by introducing a more dynamic and component-based routing system.