How to Use Disabled Next.js Features Like A Pro

Currently, Next.js is one of the most popular and at the same time universal frameworks for creating Web applications. You get great stuff like Server-Side Rendering (SSR), Static Site Generation (SSG), and API Routes, integrated and ready to go as soon as you set up Next.js. But not all projects will require such features as: This of course does not always happen, but in certain cases, it is found to help in flattening or reducing the complexity of certain workflows, while reducing build time, and in general, provides better fitment to the character of a specific project. Disabled Next.js Features are features of Next.js that are turned off for some reasons in an application, and in this tutorial, we will learn why and when you should disable some of these features, and how to do it right while not causing harm to your application.

What Are Disabled Next.js Features?
Disabled Next.js Features meaning they are normal features that make up the Next.js platform but the programmer removes when necessary. For example:

 Disabling SSR: In as much as to save the servers an extra effort on such sites that are merely static in nature.

 Turning Off Image Optimization

 Like that’s why when for instance using third party CDN for image handling.

Skipping ESLint During Builds

The goal for the next two quarters is to enhance Distribution of deployment pipelines. They go in recommending that even when one opts for shut down of the capability, it is not because the project is inexpensive but due to mismatch of needs of the project to the abilities of the framework.

 Key Next.js Features You Can Disable and Why

Disabling Server-Side Rendering (SSR)

SSR is great for dynamic content because once again, the server takes care of rendering the pages and sends them to the client as complete HTML. But SSR is not always required, especially for pages that don’t update often such as blogs and similar blogs like web pages.

Web-pages that do not use information stored on a server as it updates the page. Dynamic content, ensuring that pages are rendered on the server and delivered as ready-to-display HTML. However, SSR isn’t always necessary, especially for pages with static or infrequently changing content. When to Disable SSR:

1. Static documentation pages

2. Marketing landing pages

3. Pages that don’t rely on dynamic server data

 How to Disable SSR:

export async function getServerSideProps() {

  return {

notFound: true,

  };

}

Tip: When using the disable SSR option always remember that you other static pages you will be compromising on meta tags (title and description) for your site.

Disabling Image Optimization

Next.js has implemented the feature of image optimization, which means that application developers do not have to worry about the size of the images they want to use as it will automatically optimize them. However, if you are using a particular image provider such as Cloudinary or AWS S3, it may be that Next.js optimization is not necessary. Images are run through a third-party CDN server. These SISs are already optimized before the implementation process is carried out, automatically reducing image sizes and improving performance. However, if you're using a specialized image service like Cloudinary or AWS S3, Next.js optimization might be redundant. When to Disable Image Optimization:

 • Images are served via a third-party CDN.

• Static images are already optimized before deployment.

How to Disable Image Optimization:

module.exports = {

  images: {

unoptimized: true,

  },

};

Best Practice: Always use descriptive alt text for images to maintain SEO accessibility.

Disabling ESLint During Builds

ESLint is a fantastic tool for catching errors and maintaining code consistency. However, running it during every build can add unnecessary delays, especially when linting is already part of your CI/CD pipeline.

When to Disable ESLint During Builds

Linting is handled in a CI/CD stage.

Urgent production fixes require skipping lint checks temporarily.

How to Disable ESLint:

js

Copy code

module.exports = {

  eslint: {

ignoreDuringBuilds: true,

  },

};

Pro Tip: Don’t entirely skip linting—ensure it’s performed as a separate step in your deployment workflow.

Disabling Middleware in Next.js
Middleware is a way of running code before a request has been finalized and can be useful in some scenarios but can include a level of overhead in other cases.

When to Disable Middleware:

• Static content is not affected by pre-processing of XML.

• Static content doesn’t depend on pre-processing.

How to Disable Middleware Prefetching:

module.exports = {

  experimental: {

middlewarePrefetch: false,

  },

};

Recommendation:Evaluate if disabling middleware aligns with your project’s architecture before proceeding.

SEO Considerations When Disabling Next.js Features

Turning off some of the available Next.js options is a double-edged sword, as it influences your site SEO, for example, switching off SSR or Image Optimization. To prevent negative impacts, keep the following in mind:

1. Meta Tags Are Crucial: Ensure every page has proper meta tags (title, description, canonical).

2. Structured Data: Add JSON-LD schemas to help search engines understand your content.

3. Robots.txt: Verify that critical pages aren’t accidentally blocked from being indexed.

4. Audit Regularly: Use tools like Google Lighthouse and Search Console to monitor SEO health.

Example Meta Tag Setup

<meta name="description" content="Learn how to use Disabled Next.js Features like a pro to optimize workflows and enhance site performance.">

These aspects will help to always control your application and make sure, that even when some options are disabled, your program stays perfectly SEO-optimized.

Conclusion

Understanding various Disabled Next.js Features is all about making the right choices and this article has shown how the most basic ones that almost every user often overlook are utilized by a professional. With regard to SSR, Image Optimization, or the exclusion of ESLint during builds, each must come with obvious reasons and follow the project’s objective. When writing the code, using the strategies described in this guide, documenting your changes and periodically testing your application you will be confident that the website will maintain its efficiency, scalability and will remain SEO-friendly. Bear in mind, that deprecating a feature is not necessarily an act of creating a less functional application, but it’s an act of optimizing the app to perform better and be easy to maintain.