What do SSR, SSG and hydration mean?
Answer out loud or in your head first, then compare.
Answer
SSR means preparing HTML on the server for a request. SSG means generating the page in advance, e.g. while building the app. In an app rendered mainly in the browser, the user gets code that only then creates the view.
Hydration means running React on previously prepared HTML so the view becomes interactive. The initial output on both sides should match. If the server shows a different time or random value from the browser's first render, a mismatch can occur. You don't have to pick one method for the whole app — different pages can have different needs.
Why it matters: Explains the basics before choosing a frontend architecture.
Possible follow-ups: Which method suits a public article, and which a private dashboard?
How did it go? Be honest — “Not yet” puts the question on your review list.
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Further reading
- Next.js: Caching and Revalidating (Previous Model)(opens in a new tab)Docs; accessed 22.10.2026. Depends on the router, version and Cache Components; there is no single rule for all of Next.