Link vs useRouter in Next.js: Best Choice?

Introduction

Navigation is the backbone of user experience in web applications. In the Next.js ecosystem, developers often face a critical decision: should they use the Link component or the useRouter() hook? This choice isn't merely syntactic—it impacts performance, developer experience, and application architecture.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll dissect both approaches, providing you with actionable insights to make informed decisions in your Next.js projects.

Before diving into the specifics, let's understand why this matters. Next.js revolutionized React applications by introducing a hybrid rendering model, but its client-side navigation capabilities truly set it apart from traditional multi-page applications.

The framework offers two primary navigation mechanisms:

The declarative Link component
The imperative useRouter() hook

Each serves distinct use cases and comes with its own set of advantages.

Deep Dive: The Link Component

The Link component is Next.js's built-in solution for declarative navigation between routes . It wraps the HTML <a> tag while preventing full page reloads.

import Link from 'next/link'

export default function Navigation() {
  return (
    <nav className="flex gap-4 p-4 bg-gray-100">
      <Link 
        href="/" 
        className="font-medium hover:text-blue-600 transition-colors"
      >
        Home
      </Link>
      <Link 
        href="/blog" 
        className="font-medium hover:text-blue-600 transition-colors"
      >
        Blog
      </Link>
      <Link 
        href="/products" 
        className="font-medium hover:text-blue-600 transition-colors"
      >
        Products
      </Link>
    </nav>
  )
}

Advanced Link Features You Should Know

1. Automatic Prefetching

One of Link's most powerful features is automatic prefetching. When a Link component appears in the viewport, Next.js automatically prefetches the linked page in the background . This creates near-instantaneous page transitions for users.<Link href="/dashboard">Dashboard</Link>

<Link href="/dashboard">Dashboard</Link>

2. Dynamic Route Handling

The Link component elegantly handles dynamic routes with both string interpolation and URL objects :

// Method 1: String interpolation
<Link href={`/products/${product.id}`}>
  View {product.name}
</Link>

// Method 2: URL object (more explicit for complex routes)
<Link
  href={{
    pathname: '/products/[id]',
    query: { id: product.id, filter: 'active' },
  }}
>
  View {product.name}
</Link>

3. Scroll and History Management

Link provides fine-grained control over scroll behavior and history stack management:

// Replace current history entry instead of adding a new one
<Link href="/terms" replace>Terms & Conditions</Link>

// Disable automatic scrolling to top
<Link href="/gallery" scroll={false}>Photo Gallery</Link>

Deep Dive: The useRouter() Hook

The useRouter() hook provides programmatic access to Next.js's router instance, offering imperative navigation control and access to route information.

import { useRouter } from 'next/router'

export default function LoginForm() {
  const router = useRouter()
  const [credentials, setCredentials] = useState({ email: '', password: '' })

  async function handleSubmit(e) {
    e.preventDefault()
    const success = await authenticateUser(credentials)

    if (success) {
      // Programmatic navigation after form submission
      router.push('/dashboard')
    }
  }

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
      {/* Form fields */}
      <button type="submit">Log In</button>
    </form>
  )
}

Advanced useRouter Features

1. Complete Router API Access

The useRouter hook provides access to the full router object, including:

const router = useRouter()

// Current route information
console.log(router.pathname) // e.g., '/products/[id]'
console.log(router.query)    // e.g., { id: '123', filter: 'active' }
console.log(router.asPath)   // e.g., '/products/123?filter=active'

// Navigation methods
router.push('/dashboard')
router.replace('/login')
router.back()
router.reload()

2. Shallow Routing for UI State

Shallow routing allows URL changes without triggering data fetching methods like getServerSideProps or getStaticProps :

function ProductFilters() {
  const router = useRouter()
  const { category, sort } = router.query

  function updateFilters(newFilters) {
    // Update URL without triggering a full page reload or data refetch
    router.push(
      {
        pathname: router.pathname,
        query: { ...router.query, ...newFilters },
      },
      undefined,
      { shallow: true }
    )
  }

  return (
    <div className="filter-controls">
      <select 
        value={sort || 'newest'} 
        onChange={(e) => updateFilters({ sort: e.target.value })}
      >
        <option value="newest">Newest</option>
        <option value="price-asc">Price: Low to High</option>
        <option value="price-desc">Price: High to Low</option>
      </select>
    </div>
  )
}

3. Router Events for Loading States

The router exposes events that let you create sophisticated loading experiences:

import { useEffect } from 'react'
import { useRouter } from 'next/router'

export default function LoadingIndicator() {
  const router = useRouter()
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false)

  useEffect(() => {
    const handleStart = () => setLoading(true)
    const handleComplete = () => setLoading(false)

    router.events.on('routeChangeStart', handleStart)
    router.events.on('routeChangeComplete', handleComplete)
    router.events.on('routeChangeError', handleComplete)

    return () => {
      router.events.off('routeChangeStart', handleStart)
      router.events.off('routeChangeComplete', handleComplete)
      router.events.off('routeChangeError', handleComplete)
    }
  }, [router])

  return loading ? <div className="global-spinner" /> : null
}

Strategic Decision Framework: When to Use Each Approach

Choose useRouter() When:

Implementing Complex Navigation Logic
Conditional redirects based on user state
Multi-step forms or wizards
Authentication flows
Managing Application State in URLs
Filter and sort controls
Pagination parameters
Search queries
Creating Advanced UX Patterns
Custom loading indicators
Transition animations between routes
Confirming navigation (preventing accidental navigation away from forms)

Real-World Implementation Patterns

import Link from 'next/link'
import { useRouter } from 'next/router'

export default function ProductCard({ product }) {
  const router = useRouter()

  async function handleAddToCart() {
    try {
      await addToCart(product.id)
      // Show mini cart or navigate to cart
      router.push('/cart')
    } catch (error) {
      // Handle error
    }
  }

  return (
    <div className="product-card border rounded-lg p-4 flex flex-col">
      {/* Declarative navigation for the product details */}
      <Link href={`/products/${product.id}`} className="group">
        <div className="aspect-square bg-gray-100 mb-4 overflow-hidden rounded">
          <img 
            src={product.imageUrl || "/placeholder.svg?height=300&width=300"} 
            alt={product.name}
            className="w-full h-full object-cover group-hover:scale-105 transition-transform"
          />
        </div>
        <h3 className="font-medium text-lg group-hover:text-blue-600 transition-colors">
          {product.name}
        </h3>
        <p className="text-gray-700">${product.price.toFixed(2)}</p>
      </Link>

      {/* Imperative navigation after an action */}
      <button 
        onClick={handleAddToCart}
        className="mt-auto bg-blue-600 text-white py-2 rounded hover:bg-blue-700 transition-colors"
      >
        Add to Cart
      </button>
    </div>
  )
}

import { useEffect } from 'react'
import { useRouter } from 'next/router'
import { useAuth } from '@/lib/auth'

export default function ProtectedRoute({ children }) {
  const router = useRouter()
  const { user, loading } = useAuth()

  useEffect(() => {
    // Skip during initial load
    if (loading) return

    // Redirect if not authenticated
    if (!user) {
      router.replace({
        pathname: '/login',
        query: { returnUrl: router.asPath }
      })
    }
  }, [user, loading, router])

  // Show loading state or children based on auth state
  if (loading || !user) {
    return <div className="p-8 text-center">Loading...</div>
  }

  return children
}

Performance Considerations

Link Component Performance Benefits

Automatic Code Splitting: Next.js only loads the JavaScript needed for the linked page
Prefetching: Reduces perceived loading time
Optimized Bundle Size: The Link component is lightweight

Router Hook Performance Considerations

Event Listeners: Be careful with router events to avoid memory leaks
Shallow Routing: Use it to prevent unnecessary data fetching
Route Change Callbacks: Keep them lightweight to avoid jank during transitions

Best Practices for Production Applications

Consistent Navigation Patterns
Use Link for standard navigation
Reserve useRouter for complex scenarios
Document your team's conventions
Error Handling
Implement fallbacks for failed navigations
Consider retry mechanisms for critical flows
Analytics Integration
Track page views and navigation patterns
Measure performance metrics

// Example of router events for analytics
useEffect(() => {
  const handleRouteChange = (url) => {
    analytics.pageView(url)
    performance.mark('route-change-complete')
  }

  router.events.on('routeChangeComplete', handleRouteChange)

  return () => {
    router.events.off('routeChangeComplete', handleRouteChange)
  }
}, [router])

Conclusion: The Strategic Approach

The choice between Link and useRouter isn't binary—it's contextual. Professional Next.js applications leverage both approaches strategically:

Link for its declarative simplicity and performance optimizations
useRouter for its flexibility and programmatic control

By understanding the strengths and use cases of each approach, you can create more intuitive, performant, and maintainable navigation experiences in your Next.js applications.

What's Next?

As Next.js continues to evolve, stay updated with the latest navigation patterns and best practices. The introduction of the App Router has brought new considerations to this discussion, which we'll explore in a future post.

Sources:

https://nextjs.org/docs/pages/building-your-application/routing/dynamic-routes

https://nextjs.org/docs/pages/building-your-application/routing/linking-and-navigating

https://nextjs.org/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/dynamic-routes

if you want to learn through videos .here are some clean youtube videos.

What navigation patterns have you found most effective in your Next.js projects? Share your experiences in the comments below!

Navigating Next.js: Choosing Between Link and useRouter for Optimal Performance

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