How to deploy Next.js applications with SSR and API routes

Next.js applications require careful deployment strategies due to their varied rendering modes, including static generation, server-side rendering (SSR), API routes, and Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR). Render offers infrastructure that accommodates these modes, necessitating an understanding of how Next.js architecture aligns with Render's service types and configurations. The guide provides insights into deploying Next.js apps on Render, discussing prerequisites such as specific versions of Next.js and Node.js, and the importance of environment variables. It distinguishes between static site and web service deployments, highlighting the need for persistent Node.js processes for SSR, ISR, and API routes. The document emphasizes the significance of environment variables during build and runtime, explaining how Render's configuration can enhance security and efficiency. It also covers Render's zero-downtime deploys, secrets management, and image optimization, along with handling ISR cache issues using persistent disks. Furthermore, it addresses common deployment issues and offers solutions for memory exhaustion, port binding, and gateway timeouts. The guide concludes with production considerations such as preview environments, custom domains, autoscaling, and monitoring, suggesting that these patterns form a foundation for optimizing Next.js deployments on Render.