Intercepting routes VS Parallel routes | Nextjs App Router

Each technique serves distinct purposes and can significantly enhance the user experience and application performance when implemented correctly.

And so far so obvious you will say😉
But let's start with a brief single distinction!

Intercepting Routes

Intercepting routes allows developers to handle navigation requests before they reach their final destination. This technique is useful for scenarios where you want to display an alternative view or component without changing the URL or refreshing the page.

Particularly beneficial for:

• Authentication
• Dynamic Content
• Request Manipulation

Parallel Routes

Parallel routes, on the other hand, enables the simultaneous rendering of multiple pages within a shared layout. This technique is particularly useful for enhancing performance and user experience by:

• Reducing Latency
• Shared Data Dependencies
• Complex Layouts

Comparison of Intercepting and Parallel Routes

Feature	Intercepting Routes	Parallel Routes
Purpose	Manipulate requests before reaching the page	Render multiple pages simultaneously
Use Cases	Authentication, dynamic content display	Tabbed navigation, shared data dependencies
Routing Convention	Uses (..) for segment matching	Uses named slots for layout integration
User Experience	Maintains context while changing views	Enhances performance and reduces latency

Choosing the Right Approach

The decision to use intercepting or parallel routes in Next.js depends on the specific needs of your application:

• Use Intercepting Routing when:

  • You need to fetch data or perform server-side computations before rendering.
  • You want to show modals or overlays without losing the current context.
  • Custom authentication or authorization handling is required.

• Use Parallel Routing when:

  • You aim to optimize performance by rendering multiple pages at once.
  • You have shared data dependencies that can be efficiently managed.
  • You want to enhance the perceived loading time and overall user experience.

📲 Write in the comments if you would like a post on just code examples and practical examples in addition to just hated theory ☕️