Link Component Prefetching Behavior

Understanding prefetch Prop Values

The prefetch prop on Next.js <Link> components has three distinct behaviors in App Router:

prefetch={false} - Completely disables prefetching, including on hover. This is a breaking change from Pages Router, where prefetch={false} would still prefetch on hover. Use this when you want to prevent any prefetching whatsoever.

tsx

<Link href="/dashboard" prefetch={false}>
  Dashboard
</Link>

prefetch={undefined} (default) - Only prefetches static routes. Dynamic routes are not prefetched until navigation occurs. Use this default behavior when you have a mix of static and dynamic routes and want to optimize initial load performance.

prefetch={true} - Prefetches both static and dynamic routes. Use this for critical navigation paths where you want to ensure the fastest possible navigation experience, even for dynamic content.

tsx

<Link href="/profile/[id]" prefetch={true}>
  User Profile
</Link>

Suspense Boundaries and Search Params

Same-Page Navigation Issue

When navigating on the same page with only search parameter changes, Suspense boundaries do not re-trigger their loading states by default. This can create a poor user experience where the UI appears frozen during data refetching.

Solution: Key-Based Suspense

Force Suspense boundaries to show loading states during search param changes by providing a unique key prop that includes the changing search parameter:

tsx

// app/search/page.tsx
export default function SearchPage({ 
  searchParams 
}: { 
  searchParams: { q?: string } 
}) {
  return (
    <Suspense 
      key={searchParams.q} 
      fallback={<LoadingSpinner />}
    >
      <SearchResults query={searchParams.q} />
    </Suspense>
  )
}

The key change ensures React treats the Suspense boundary as a new instance, properly displaying the fallback during the transition.

Type Safety

Typing Page Props

Use the PageProps helper type to correctly type page component props in App Router:

tsx

import type { PageProps } from 'next'

export default function Page({ params, searchParams }: PageProps) {
  // params and searchParams are properly typed
}

This helper provides accurate types for the params and searchParams objects passed to page components, improving type safety and developer experience.

Component State Preservation

cacheComponents Flag

When the cacheComponents experimental flag is enabled, Next.js leverages React's <Activity> component to maintain component state across client-side navigations:

tsx

// next.config.js
module.exports = {
  experimental: {
    cacheComponents: true
  }
}

This preserves component state (such as form inputs, scroll position, or local component state) when users navigate away and return, creating a more native app-like experience. The <Activity> component handles the state preservation automatically without requiring manual state management.