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Route groups and parallel routes

Learn about Route groups and parallel routes as part of Next.js 14 Full-Stack Development

Table of Contents

Mastering Next.js 14: Route Groups and Parallel Routes

Welcome to this module on advanced routing in Next.js 14! We'll dive into two powerful features of the App Router: Route Groups and Parallel Routes. These tools offer sophisticated ways to organize your application's structure and manage complex UI layouts.

Understanding Route Groups

Route Groups allow you to organize your files and folders within the

code
app
directory without affecting the actual URL path. This is incredibly useful for structuring larger applications, separating concerns, or creating distinct sections of your site without creating unnecessary URL segments.

Route Groups organize files without changing URLs.

Use parentheses () around folder names to create a route group. For example, app/(marketing)/page.js will still be accessible at the root /.

When you create a folder within the app directory, its name typically becomes a segment in the URL. However, by wrapping a folder name in parentheses, like (marketing) or (dashboard), you create a route group. The contents of this group are still routed, but the parenthetical segment itself is not included in the URL. This is a purely organizational tool. You can have multiple route groups within the same directory level, and they don't interfere with each other or with non-grouped routes.

Benefits of Route Groups

Route groups are like invisible dividers for your app directory, keeping your project tidy without impacting user-facing URLs.

Key benefits include:

  • Improved Organization: Group related routes (e.g., marketing pages, authentication flows, admin panels) logically.
  • URL Structure Control: Maintain clean URLs while having a flexible file structure.
  • Layout Flexibility: Easily apply different layouts to different sections of your app by nesting layout files within route groups.

Introducing Parallel Routes

Parallel Routes enable you to render multiple pages or UI components in the same layout simultaneously. This is particularly useful for complex dashboards or UIs where you need to display different content streams side-by-side, or conditionally render different routes based on user interaction or state.

Render multiple routes in the same layout.

Parallel routes are defined using special file names with the @ prefix, like @analytics or @users. These are placed within a page.js file's children prop, or explicitly rendered.

To implement parallel routes, you create folders prefixed with @ (e.g., @analytics, @users). These folders contain their own page.js or layout.js files. A parent route can then render these parallel routes alongside its own children. This is typically done within a layout.js file using the children prop and explicitly rendering the parallel routes. For example, a dashboard layout might render its main content via children and then display analytics and user lists in separate parallel slots.

Use Cases for Parallel Routes

Parallel routes are ideal for:

  • Dashboards: Displaying multiple independent widgets or data panels simultaneously.
  • Modals and Overlays: Rendering a modal or a specific UI element without navigating away from the current page.
  • A/B Testing: Showing different versions of a UI to different users.
  • Conditional Rendering: Displaying different content based on specific conditions or user actions within the same view.

Imagine a dashboard layout. The main content area is handled by children. Parallel routes, like @notifications and @settings, are rendered into distinct 'slots' within this layout. This allows you to have a primary view and supplementary views active at the same time, managed independently.

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Combining Route Groups and Parallel Routes

These two features can be used together for even greater organizational power. You can place parallel route folders within route groups to further segment your application's structure. For instance, you might have a

code
(dashboard)
route group containing parallel routes for different dashboard sections like
code
@overview
,
code
@reports
, and
code
@settings
.

What is the primary purpose of a route group in Next.js?

To organize files and folders within the app directory without affecting the URL path.

How do you define a parallel route?

By creating a folder prefixed with @, such as @slotName.

Key Takeaways

Route Groups offer organizational flexibility without URL changes, while Parallel Routes enable concurrent rendering of multiple routes. Mastering these concepts will significantly enhance your ability to build complex and well-structured Next.js applications.

Learning Resources

Next.js App Router - Route Groups(documentation)

Official Next.js documentation explaining the concept and usage of route groups.

Next.js App Router - Parallel Routes(documentation)

Official Next.js documentation detailing how to implement and utilize parallel routes.

Next.js 13 App Router Tutorial: Route Groups & Parallel Routes(video)

A practical video tutorial demonstrating the implementation of route groups and parallel routes in Next.js.

Mastering Next.js 13 App Router: Route Groups and Parallel Routes(video)

Another comprehensive video guide covering the practical application of these advanced routing features.

Next.js 14 App Router: Route Groups & Parallel Routes Explained(video)

A focused explanation of route groups and parallel routes specifically for Next.js 14.

Understanding Next.js App Router: Route Groups(blog)

A blog post that breaks down the utility and implementation of route groups in the Next.js App Router.

Next.js Parallel Routes: A Deep Dive(blog)

An in-depth article exploring the capabilities and use cases of parallel routes in Next.js.

Next.js 14 App Router: Route Groups and Parallel Routes(video)

A tutorial focusing on the practical application of route groups and parallel routes in Next.js 14.

Next.js Documentation: Layouts(documentation)

Essential reading on how layouts interact with routing, including parallel routes.

Next.js 14 App Router - Advanced Routing(video)

A video covering advanced routing patterns in Next.js 14, including route groups and parallel routes.