What is Lazy Loading in Next js?

Lazy loading in Next.js is a technique that enables components or modules to be loaded only when they are needed, rather than being loaded all at once during the initial page load. This helps optimize the performance of Next.js applications by reducing the initial bundle size and improving loading times, as components are fetched and rendered dynamically as they are required.

In Next.js, lazy loading is achieved through the dynamic import feature provided by Next.js. This feature enables the asynchronous loading of components or modules, meaning they are loaded only when they are needed. Such a technique aids in optimizing the initial page load time and reducing the bundle size of your application.

Next.js provides a couple of ways to implement lazy loading:

• Dynamic Import with import() syntax: You can use the import() function to dynamically import components or modules in your Next.js application. Here's an example:

import dynamic from 'next/dynamic';

const DynamicComponent = dynamic(() => import('../components/DynamicComponent'));

In this example, the DynamicComponent will be lazily loaded when it's required in the application.

• Lazy Loading Routes with next/dynamic: Next.js allows you to lazily load routes using the next/dynamic function. This is particularly useful for code-splitting and loading routes only when they are visited by users.

import dynamic from 'next/dynamic';

const DynamicPage = dynamic(() => import('../pages/dynamicPage'));

By using lazy loading techniques in Next.js, you can improve the performance of your application by loading resources or components asynchronously, which helps reduce the initial load time and improves user experience, especially in larger applications.