I’m planning to create an application using web components. But I’m not sure if I can do server-side rendering (SSR) for these components without using a headless browser like Puppeteer. My main goal is to boost performance, so using a headless browser doesn’t seem like the best choice.
I know there was a project called Skatejs that tried to do SSR for web components. But I couldn’t get their example to work, and it looks like the project isn’t being updated anymore.
Does anyone know if it’s actually doable to render web components on the server without using a headless browser? Are there any current solutions or best practices for this? I’m really curious about the state of SSR for web components in today’s development landscape.
If there are alternatives or workarounds, I’d love to hear about them too. Performance is key for my app, so I’m open to different approaches that can help me achieve that while still using web components.
Server-side rendering for web components without headless browsers is indeed challenging. While direct SSR for custom elements isn’t straightforward, you might consider a hybrid approach. Render the core content server-side as standard HTML, then enhance it with web components on the client. This method, often called progressive enhancement, can significantly improve initial load times and SEO.
For implementation, libraries like lit-html or hybrids offer server-side rendering capabilities for web components. They generate static HTML that can be hydrated on the client. Additionally, exploring newer frameworks like Astro might be beneficial, as it supports various web component libraries and offers partial hydration strategies.
Remember, the key is balancing between server-side performance and client-side interactivity. Carefully analyze which parts of your application truly need web components and which can be served as plain HTML for optimal performance.
Hey josephk, I’ve wrestled with this problem too. SSR for web components without headless browsers is a real challenge. Have you looked into Stencil? It’s got a built-in SSR solution that works pretty well.
Another approach I’ve used is server-side includes (SSI) combined with client-side hydration. Basically, you render static placeholders on the server, then hydrate them with web components on the client. It’s not perfect, but it gives a good balance of performance and functionality.
One thing to keep in mind - make sure your components are designed with progressive enhancement in mind. That way, even if the JavaScript fails to load, users still get a functional (if basic) experience. It’s saved my bacon more than once in production.
Hope this helps! Let us know what solution you end up going with.
hi josephk, i’ve done that too. ssr for web comps without headless browsers is kinda tricky, but preact might help with a nimble virtual dom. also consider rendering only the crucial parts server-side and hydrating the rest on the client. hope that helps!