Common Performance Pitfalls with Next.js React Server Components

In the article 6 React Server Component performance pitfalls in Next.js, Temitope Oyedele identifies common implementation errors that negate the performance benefits of React Server Components (RSCs) and the Next.js App Router. I copied the entire article into a skill and had Claude track down these issues in my codebase. There were a surprising amount of them!

Core Perf Pitfalls

• Using top-level await in a page component prevents the server from streaming the initial UI shell. This leaves users staring at a blank screen until the slowest data fetch completes.

• Passing entire database objects across the server-client boundary bloats the HTML and increases hydration time. Use only the fields the client actually needs.

• Placing the use client directive too high in the component tree forces static elements to be included in the JavaScript bundle and hydrated unnecessarily.

• Failing to use Suspense for non-essential, slow-loading data prevents the browser from showing "fast" content (like headers or sidebars) immediately.

• Forgetting to use revalidatePath or revalidateTag in Server Actions can lead to stale UI where the database updates but the view remains unchanged until a manual refresh.

• Using async logic directly in a root layout blocks the entire application's rendering. Data-heavy elements should be moved to isolated components wrapped in Suspense.

The article emphasizes that RSC performance is often about perceived speed and visible progress. By isolating slow work behind Suspense boundaries and keeping the client-side bundle lean, developers can ensure the shell of an application renders instantly, even if back-end processes are slow.