Angular SSR (Server-Side Rendering) Explained Clearly
Understand SSR, why it matters for SEO and performance, and what changes in your code.
SSR means the server renders HTML first, so the browser receives a ready page. ## Why SSR matters ### 1) SEO Search engines can read server-rendered HTML better than an empty page. ### 2) Faster first paint Users see content earlier. ## CSR vs SSR (simple) ```mermaid flowchart LR A[CSR] --> B[Browser downloads JS] B --> C[JS builds HTML] C --> D[User sees content] E[SSR] --> F[Server builds HTML] F --> G[Browser shows HTML quickly] G --> H[JS hydrates and becomes interactive] ``` ## What "hydration" means Hydration means Angular takes over the already-rendered HTML and adds interactivity (clicks, inputs). ## Biggest SSR gotcha Do not access browser-only APIs directly: - window - document - localStorage Because they do not exist on the server. Better: check platform or use injection tokens. > Next: SSR safe patterns (Platform checks and TransferState).