Server Components Skill

Overview

Generate modern React Server Components with React 19 and Next.js 15 patterns including async/await data fetching, streaming with Suspense, Server Actions, and Partial Prerendering (PPR).

This skill provides templates and best practices for building server-first applications with client-side interactivity only where needed.

What This Skill Provides

React Server Components

Modern server-rendered components with:

• Async components: Fetch data directly in components
• No useEffect needed: Server-side data fetching
• Reduced bundle size: Server code stays on server
• Automatic code splitting: Client boundaries only

Client Component Boundaries

Strategic client-side interactivity:

• "use client" directive: Mark client boundaries
• State management: useState, useContext where needed
• Event handlers: onClick, onChange for interactivity
• Browser APIs: Access window, document, localStorage

Streaming & Suspense

Progressive rendering patterns:

• Suspense boundaries: Stream components as they load
• Loading skeletons: Show placeholders during fetch
• Error boundaries: Handle server errors gracefully
• Nested Suspense: Granular loading states

React 19 Features

Latest React patterns:

• useActionState: Form submissions without client JS
• use() hook: Unwrap promises in components
• Server Actions: Backend mutations from client
• Optimistic updates: Instant UI feedback

Next.js 15 Patterns

Framework-specific optimizations:

• Partial Prerendering (PPR): Mix static and dynamic
• Improved caching: Smarter fetch deduplication
• Turbopack: Faster builds and HMR
• Server-only code: Prevents client bundling

Component Patterns

Basic Server Component

// app/ProductList.tsx (Server Component)
import { fetchProducts } from '@/lib/api';
import { ProductCard } from './ProductCard';

// ✨ Async Server Component
export default async function ProductList({ category }: Props) {
  // Direct data fetching - no useEffect!
  const products = await fetchProducts(category);

  return (
    <div className="grid grid-cols-3 gap-4">
      {products.map(product => (
        <ProductCard key={product.id} product={product} />
      ))}
    </div>
  );
}

Client Component for Interactivity

// app/ProductCard.client.tsx
'use client'; // ✨ Client boundary

import { useState } from 'react';
import { addToCart } from '@/actions/cart';

export function ProductCard({ product }: Props) {
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);

  const handleAddToCart = async () => {
    setLoading(true);
    await addToCart(product.id);
    setLoading(false);
  };

  return (
    <article>
      <img src={product.image} alt={product.name} />
      <h3>{product.name}</h3>
      <p>${product.price}</p>

      {/* ✨ Client-side interactivity */}
      <button onClick={handleAddToCart} disabled={loading}>
        {loading ? 'Adding...' : 'Add to Cart'}
      </button>
    </article>
  );
}

Streaming with Suspense

// app/Dashboard.tsx
import { Suspense } from 'react';
import { UserStats } from './UserStats';
import { RecentActivity } from './RecentActivity';
import { Skeleton } from './Skeleton';

export default function Dashboard() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Dashboard</h1>

      {/* ✨ Stream components independently */}
      <Suspense fallback={<Skeleton type="stats" />}>
        <UserStats />  {/* Slow fetch */}
      </Suspense>

      <Suspense fallback={<Skeleton type="activity" />}>
        <RecentActivity />  {/* Fast fetch */}
      </Suspense>
    </div>
  );
}

Server Actions (React 19)

// app/CommentForm.tsx
'use client';

import { useActionState } from 'react';
import { postComment } from '@/actions/comments';

export function CommentForm({ postId }: Props) {
  const [state, submitAction, isPending] = useActionState(
    async (prevState, formData) => {
      const comment = formData.get('comment') as string;

      try {
        await postComment(postId, comment);
        return { success: true, message: 'Comment posted!' };
      } catch (error) {
        return { success: false, message: 'Failed to post comment' };
      }
    },
    { success: false, message: '' }
  );

  return (
    <form action={submitAction}>
      <textarea name="comment" required />
      <button disabled={isPending}>
        {isPending ? 'Posting...' : 'Post Comment'}
      </button>
      {state.message && <p>{state.message}</p>}
    </form>
  );
}

// actions/comments.ts
'use server';

export async function postComment(postId: string, comment: string) {
  const user = await getCurrentUser();
  await db.comments.create({
    data: { postId, userId: user.id, content: comment }
  });
}

Partial Prerendering (Next.js 15)

// app/page.tsx
export const experimental_ppr = true;

export default function ProductPage() {
  return (
    <>
      {/* ✨ Static: Prerendered at build time */}
      <ProductHeader />
      <ProductDescription />

      {/* ✨ Dynamic: Streamed for each request */}
      <Suspense fallback={<ReviewsSkeleton />}>
        <UserReviews />  {/* Personalized content */}
      </Suspense>

      <Suspense fallback={<RecommendationsSkeleton />}>
        <Recommendations />  {/* User-specific */}
      </Suspense>
    </>
  );
}

Templates

Server Component Template

// templates/server-component.template
import { Suspense } from 'react';

interface {{COMPONENT_NAME}}Props {
  {{PROP_NAME}}: {{PROP_TYPE}};
}

export default async function {{COMPONENT_NAME}}({
  {{PROP_NAME}}
}: {{COMPONENT_NAME}}Props) {
  // ✨ Server-side data fetching
  const data = await fetch{{DATA_NAME}}({{PROP_NAME}});

  return (
    <div>
      <h2>{{COMPONENT_NAME}}</h2>
      {/* Render data */}
    </div>
  );
}

Client Component Template

// templates/client-component.template
'use client';

import { useState } from 'react';

interface {{COMPONENT_NAME}}Props {
  {{PROP_NAME}}: {{PROP_TYPE}};
}

export function {{COMPONENT_NAME}}({
  {{PROP_NAME}}
}: {{COMPONENT_NAME}}Props) {
  const [state, setState] = useState(initialValue);

  const handleAction = () => {
    // Client-side logic
  };

  return (
    <div>
      {/* Interactive UI */}
    </div>
  );
}

Storybook Integration

Mocking Server Components

// ProductList.stories.tsx
import type { Meta, StoryObj } from '@storybook/react';
import ProductList from './ProductList';

const meta: Meta<typeof ProductList> = {
  title: 'Server/ProductList',
  component: ProductList,
  parameters: {
    nextjs: {
      appDirectory: true,  // Enable App Router
    },
  },
};

export default meta;
type Story = StoryObj<typeof ProductList>;

// ✨ Mock server data
export const Default: Story = {
  parameters: {
    async loaders() {
      return {
        products: [
          { id: 1, name: 'Product 1', price: 29.99 },
          { id: 2, name: 'Product 2', price: 39.99 },
        ],
      };
    },
  },
};

export const Loading: Story = {
  parameters: {
    async loaders() {
      // Simulate slow load
      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 2000));
      return { products: [] };
    },
  },
};

export const Error: Story = {
  parameters: {
    async loaders() {
      throw new Error('Failed to fetch products');
    },
  },
};

Best Practices

Server vs Client Decision Tree

Does it need interactivity (state, events)?
  ├─ YES → Client Component ('use client')
  └─ NO → Can it fetch data?
      ├─ YES → Server Component (async)
      └─ NO → Server Component (static)

Component Colocation

app/
├── ProductList/
│   ├── ProductList.tsx          # Server Component
│   ├── ProductCard.client.tsx   # Client Component
│   ├── ProductCard.stories.tsx  # Storybook
│   └── ProductList.test.tsx     # Tests

Data Fetching Patterns

// ✅ Server Component - Direct fetch
async function ServerComponent() {
  const data = await fetchData();
  return <div>{data}</div>;
}

// ✅ Client Component - Props from server
function ClientComponent({ data }: { data: Data }) {
  const [selected, setSelected] = useState(data[0]);
  return <div onClick={() => setSelected(data[1])}>{selected}</div>;
}

// ❌ Client Component - Don't fetch on client if avoidable
function ClientComponent() {
  const [data, setData] = useState(null);
  useEffect(() => {
    fetchData().then(setData);  // Prefer server fetch
  }, []);
}

Minimize Client Boundaries

// ❌ Entire component is client
'use client';
export default function Page() {
  return (
    <div>
      <Header />  {/* Could be server */}
      <Content /> {/* Could be server */}
      <InteractiveButton />  {/* Needs client */}
    </div>
  );
}

// ✅ Only interactive part is client
export default function Page() {
  return (
    <div>
      <Header />  {/* Server */}
      <Content /> {/* Server */}
      <InteractiveButton />  {/* Client */}
    </div>
  );
}

References

• Templates: skills/server-components/templates/
• Examples: skills/server-components/examples/server-patterns.md
• React 19 Docs: https://react.dev/blog/2024/12/05/react-19
• Next.js 15 Docs: https://nextjs.org/docs

Summary

Build modern React applications with:

1. Server Components for data fetching (no useEffect)
2. Client Components only where needed (interactivity)
3. Streaming with Suspense (progressive rendering)
4. Server Actions for mutations (React 19)
5. PPR for optimal performance (Next.js 15)

Result: Faster, smaller, more maintainable applications with better UX.