Term
SSR vs. CSR (Server-/Client-Side Rendering)
Two opposing render strategies for web pages — either the server generates ready-made HTML (SSR) or the browser assembles the page via JavaScript (CSR).
SSR vs. CSR — explained in more detail
With Server-Side Rendering, the server returns complete HTML on every request — search-engine crawlers and users see the content immediately, JavaScript is optional for enhancement. With Client-Side Rendering, the server sends an almost empty HTML shell plus a JavaScript bundle; the browser fetches data via API and only assembles the page client-side. Classic CSR example: single-page apps in React/Vue without an SSR layer.
For SEO, SSR is usually the safer choice: content sits directly in the initial HTML, LCP is lower, no risk that JS rendering fails for bots. CSR still has its place for highly interactive apps behind a login.
Example / practical use
Astro, Next.js and Nuxt produce SSR or static output by default — content is there at the first byte. A pure React SPA without an SSR layer, by contrast, takes several seconds before crawlers see meaningful content.
Distinction from related terms
SSG (Static Site Generation) is an SSR variant: HTML is pre-generated at build time instead of per request. Hydration complements SSR: the delivered static HTML is later “brought to life” in the browser.
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Hydration
The process by which static HTML rendered on the server is retroactively given JavaScript interactivity in the browser — turning "dead" markup into a reactive app.
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