Optimize Server-Side API Routes with a Dedicated Build/Development Command or Watch Mode

[tayloraucoin]

Goals

1. Enhance development speed for applications relying heavily on server-side API routes by reducing the overhead of rebuilding numerous API routes after client-side changes.
2. Introduce a dedicated mechanism, such as a silent watch mode or a separate build/start command, for API route development to improve performance without impacting the client-side development workflow.

Non-Goals

1. Modify the existing functional relationship between the client and server components in Next.js.
2. Alter how API routes are invoked or utilized in production environments.

Background

Next.js provides an excellent framework for creating server-side API routes within the same codebase as the client application. However, for applications with extensive server-side functionality—such as those leveraging Prisma and service APIs through Next.js API routes—development workflows can become inefficient.

Currently, small client-side changes often trigger a full rebuild of all API routes, significantly increasing development iteration times. This can be especially frustrating for larger projects where such rebuilds are frequent.

While alternatives like splitting the API logic into a separate backend repository exist, they introduce added complexity to the development process, undermining one of Next.js’s strengths: simplicity and the all-in-one architecture.

To maintain Next.js's hallmark developer experience while addressing this bottleneck, a dedicated mechanism for handling server-side API routes more efficiently in development is needed.

Proposal

We propose adding a dedicated command or mode that optimizes the development experience for applications with extensive server-side API routes. Specifically:

• Separate Build Command: Introduce a separate build or development command for API routes, allowing developers to manage server-side code independently of client-side code.
• Silent Watch Mode: Implement a lightweight watch mode that rebuilds only API routes as needed, minimizing the impact on client-side development workflows.

This feature would align with Next.js’s all-in-one philosophy while addressing a key pain point for teams leveraging server-side functionality.