SSR, short for "Server-Side Rendering," is a web development technique that involves generating the HTML content of a web page on the server before sending it to the user's browser. This stands in contrast to the "Client-Side Rendering" (CSR) approach, where the browser downloads JavaScript code and constructs the webpage after downloading.
Structure and Working Principle of SSR
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User Request: When a user accesses a website, the browser sends a request to the server.
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Server Processing: The server receives the request and processes it by building the HTML content of the web page. This includes fetching data from databases, creating interface components, and assembling the content into a complete HTML document.
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Creating Complete HTML: After processing, the server creates a complete HTML document containing the necessary content, data, and interface components.
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Sending to Browser: The server sends the complete HTML document back to the user's browser.
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Rendering the Page: The browser receives the HTML document and renders it for the user. JavaScript code and static resources (CSS, images) are also loaded and executed by the browser.
Benefits of SSR
- SEO Advantages: Search engines can better understand and rank websites when the content is pre-rendered on the server.
- Faster Display: Users see content faster because the HTML document is pre-rendered.
- Support for Weak Devices: Pre-rendered content improves the experience for devices with lower performance or weaker connections.
- Support for Non-JavaScript Users: SSR enables displaying a basic version for users who don't use JavaScript.
In conclusion, SSR optimizes the performance and searchability of websites by generating HTML content on the server before sending it to the browser. This provides a better user experience, improves search engine rankings, and enhances overall website performance.