What does the Link component do in Next JS?

Next.jsMiddle~1 min read

The Link component in Next.js handles client-side navigation between pages - without a full browser reload like in an SPA, but with the benefits of server rendering.

In short:

Link = fast navigation between pages, without a reload, with data prefetching

What `Link` does under the hood

the URL changes
the page does not reload
the app's state is preserved
no document.reload
a smooth UX

2. Automatic prefetch

When a link enters the viewport:

Next.js loads the page's JS and data ahead of time
the transition feels instant

You can disable it:

tsx

<Link href="/blog" prefetch={false}>Blog</Link>

3. Code splitting

only the target page's code is loaded
not the whole app bundle

4. Works with server rendering

Link:

respects SSR / SSG / ISR
uses the already generated HTML
does not break SEO

Usage example

tsx

import Link from 'next/link'

<Link href="/blog/my-post">
  Read the article
</Link>

Why `Link` is better than a plain `<a>`

`<a>`	`Link`
Full reload	SPA navigation
No prefetch	Prefetch out of the box
Slow	Fast
State is lost	State is preserved

<a> is needed only for external links.

Working with dynamic routes

tsx

<Link href={`/blog/${slug}`}>
  {title}
</Link>

Important nuances

Link does not render <a> manually (in the App Router)
supports replace, scroll, prefetch
can be used inside Server Components

Short interview answer

Link in Next.js provides client-side navigation between pages without a reload, with automatic prefetching of code and data, improving performance and user experience.

Short Answer

Interview ready

Premium

A concise answer to help you respond confidently on this topic during an interview.