A short primer on React Server Components
What runs on the server, what stays on the client, and why it matters in frameworks like Next.js.
React Server Components (RSC) let you render UI on the server without shipping every dependency to the browser. Data fetching can happen next to your database or CMS, and large libraries may never touch the client bundle.
Client vs server
Server components are great for static or dynamic content that does not need browser APIs. Client components are still required for interactivity: state, effects, event handlers, and browser-only APIs.
Mental model
Think in layers: fetch and render as much as possible on the server, then add small interactive islands on the client. Frameworks such as Next.js App Router build on this model by default for page and layout files.
Takeaway
RSC is not a replacement for client React—it is a way to split work so users download less JavaScript while still getting responsive interfaces where it counts.