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Docs clean up: Merge and delete content from routing/index.mdx (#73859
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Please merge this PR first: #73858

Closes: https://linear.app/vercel/issue/DOC-4049/delete-routingindexmdx

The content for this page has already been moved to the `Getting
Started` section or `API Reference`.

---------

Co-authored-by: Rich Haines <[email protected]>
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39 changes: 34 additions & 5 deletions docs/01-app/01-getting-started/02-project-structure.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -66,10 +66,10 @@ Top-level files are used to configure your application, manage dependencies, run

### Nested routes

| | |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------- |
| [`folder`](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing#route-segments) | Route segment |
| [`folder/folder`](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing#nested-routes) | Nested route segment |
| | |
| --------------- | -------------------- |
| `folder` | Route segment |
| `folder/folder` | Nested route segment |

### Dynamic routes

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -168,13 +168,42 @@ Top-level files are used to configure your application, manage dependencies, run

<AppOnly>

## Component hierarchy

The React components defined in special files of a route segment are rendered in a specific hierarchy:

- `layout.js`
- `template.js`
- `error.js` (React error boundary)
- `loading.js` (React suspense boundary)
- `not-found.js` (React error boundary)
- `page.js` or nested `layout.js`

<Image
alt="Component Hierarchy for File Conventions"
srcLight="/docs/light/file-conventions-component-hierarchy.png"
srcDark="/docs/dark/file-conventions-component-hierarchy.png"
width="1600"
height="643"
/>

In a nested route, the components of a segment will be nested **inside** the components of its parent segment.

<Image
alt="Nested File Conventions Component Hierarchy"
srcLight="/docs/light/nested-file-conventions-component-hierarchy.png"
srcDark="/docs/dark/nested-file-conventions-component-hierarchy.png"
width="1600"
height="863"
/>

## Organizing your project

Apart from [folder and file conventions](/docs/app/getting-started/project-structure), Next.js is **unopinionated** about how you organize and colocate your project files. But it does provide several features to help you organize your project.

### Colocation

In the `app` directory, [nested folder hierarchy](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing#route-segments) defines route structure. Each folder represents a route segment that is mapped to a corresponding segment in a URL path.
In the `app` directory, nested folders define route structure. Each folder represents a route segment that is mapped to a corresponding segment in a URL path.

However, even though route structure is defined through folders, a route is **not publicly accessible** until a `page.js` or `route.js` file is added to a route segment.

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4 changes: 2 additions & 2 deletions docs/01-app/03-building-your-application/01-routing/01-defining-routes.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ This page will guide you through how to define and organize routes in your Next.

Next.js uses a file-system based router where **folders** are used to define routes.

Each folder represents a [**route** segment](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing#route-segments) that maps to a **URL** segment. To create a [nested route](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing#nested-routes), you can nest folders inside each other.
Each folder represents a **route segment** that maps to a **URL** segment. To create a nested route, you can nest folders inside each other.

<Image
alt="Route segments to path segments"
Expand All @@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ In this example, the `/dashboard/analytics` URL path is _not_ publicly accessibl
## Creating UI

[Special file conventions](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing#file-conventions) are used to create UI for each route segment. The most common are [pages](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/pages) to show UI unique to a route, and [layouts](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/layouts-and-templates#layouts) to show UI that is shared across multiple routes.
[Special file conventions](/docs/app/api-reference/file-conventions) are used to create UI for each route segment. The most common are [pages](/docs/app/api-reference/file-conventions/page) to show UI unique to a route, and [layouts](/docs/app/api-reference/file-conventions/layout) to show UI that is shared across multiple routes.

For example, to create your first page, add a `page.js` file inside the `app` directory and export a React component:

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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion docs/01-app/03-building-your-application/01-routing/02-pages.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export default function Page() {
> **Good to know**:
>
> - The `.js`, `.jsx`, or `.tsx` file extensions can be used for Pages.
> - A page is always the [leaf](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing#terminology) of the [route subtree](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing#terminology).
> - A page is always the **leaf** of the route subtree.
> - A `page.js` file is required to make a route segment publicly accessible.
> - Pages are [Server Components](/docs/app/building-your-application/rendering/server-components) by default, but can be set to a [Client Component](/docs/app/building-your-application/rendering/client-components).
> - Pages can fetch data. View the [Data Fetching](/docs/app/building-your-application/data-fetching) section for more information.
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion docs/01-app/03-building-your-application/01-routing/05-error-handling.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ If you want errors to bubble up to the parent error boundary, you can `throw` wh
### Handling Errors in Nested Routes
Errors will bubble up to the nearest parent error boundary. This allows for granular error handling by placing `error.tsx` files at different levels in the [route hierarchy](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing#component-hierarchy).
Errors will bubble up to the nearest parent error boundary. This allows for granular error handling by placing `error.tsx` files at different levels in the [route hierarchy](/docs/app/getting-started/project-structure#component-hierarchy).
<Image
alt="Nested Error Component Hierarchy"
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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion docs/01-app/03-building-your-application/01-routing/11-parallel-routes.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ export default function Layout({ children, team, analytics }) {
}
```

However, slots are **not** [route segments](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing#route-segments) and do not affect the URL structure. For example, for `/@analytics/views`, the URL will be `/views` since `@analytics` is a slot. Slots are combined with the regular [Page](/docs/app/api-reference/file-conventions/page) component to form the final page associated with the route segment. Because of this, you cannot have separate [static](/docs/app/building-your-application/rendering/server-components#static-rendering-default) and [dynamic](/docs/app/building-your-application/rendering/server-components#dynamic-rendering) slots at the same route segment level. If one slot is dynamic, all slots at that level must be dynamic.
However, slots are **not** route segments and do not affect the URL structure. For example, for `/@analytics/views`, the URL will be `/views` since `@analytics` is a slot. Slots are combined with the regular [Page](/docs/app/api-reference/file-conventions/page) component to form the final page associated with the route segment. Because of this, you cannot have separate [static](/docs/app/building-your-application/rendering/server-components#static-rendering-default) and [dynamic](/docs/app/building-your-application/rendering/server-components#dynamic-rendering) slots at the same route segment level. If one slot is dynamic, all slots at that level must be dynamic.

> **Good to know**:
>
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155 changes: 0 additions & 155 deletions docs/01-app/03-building-your-application/01-routing/index.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -3,158 +3,3 @@ title: Routing Fundamentals
nav_title: Routing
description: Learn the fundamentals of routing for front-end applications.
---

The skeleton of every application is routing. This page will introduce you to the **fundamental concepts** of routing for the web and how to handle routing in Next.js.

## Terminology

First, you will see these terms being used throughout the documentation. Here's a quick reference:

<Image
alt="Terminology for Component Tree"
srcLight="/docs/light/terminology-component-tree.png"
srcDark="/docs/dark/terminology-component-tree.png"
width="1600"
height="832"
/>

- **Tree:** A convention for visualizing a hierarchical structure. For example, a component tree with parent and children components, a folder structure, etc.
- **Subtree:** Part of a tree, starting at a new root (first) and ending at the leaves (last).
- **Root**: The first node in a tree or subtree, such as a root layout.
- **Leaf:** Nodes in a subtree that have no children, such as the last segment in a URL path.

<Image
alt="Terminology for URL Anatomy"
srcLight="/docs/light/terminology-url-anatomy.png"
srcDark="/docs/dark/terminology-url-anatomy.png"
width="1600"
height="371"
/>

- **URL Segment:** Part of the URL path delimited by slashes.
- **URL Path:** Part of the URL that comes after the domain (composed of segments).

## The `app` Router

In version 13, Next.js introduced a new **App Router** built on [React Server Components](/docs/app/building-your-application/rendering/server-components), which supports shared layouts, nested routing, loading states, error handling, and more.

The App Router works in a new directory named `app`. The `app` directory works alongside the `pages` directory to allow for incremental adoption. This allows you to opt some routes of your application into the new behavior while keeping other routes in the `pages` directory for previous behavior. If your application uses the `pages` directory, please also see the [Pages Router](/docs/pages/building-your-application/routing) documentation.

> **Good to know**: The App Router takes priority over the Pages Router. Routes across directories should not resolve to the same URL path and will cause a build-time error to prevent a conflict.
<Image
alt="Next.js App Directory"
srcLight="/docs/light/next-router-directories.png"
srcDark="/docs/dark/next-router-directories.png"
width="1600"
height="444"
/>

By default, components inside `app` are [React Server Components](/docs/app/building-your-application/rendering/server-components). This is a performance optimization and allows you to easily adopt them, and you can also use [Client Components](/docs/app/building-your-application/rendering/client-components).

> **Recommendation:** Check out the [Server](/docs/app/building-your-application/rendering/server-components) page if you're new to Server Components.
## Roles of Folders and Files

Next.js uses a file-system based router where:

- **Folders** are used to define routes. A route is a single path of nested folders, following the file-system hierarchy from the **root folder** down to a final **leaf folder** that includes a `page.js` file. See [Defining Routes](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/defining-routes).
- **Files** are used to create UI that is shown for a route segment. See [special files](#file-conventions).

## Route Segments

Each folder in a route represents a **route segment**. Each route segment is mapped to a corresponding **segment** in a **URL path**.

<Image
alt="How Route Segments Map to URL Segments"
srcLight="/docs/light/route-segments-to-path-segments.png"
srcDark="/docs/dark/route-segments-to-path-segments.png"
width="1600"
height="594"
/>

## Nested Routes

To create a nested route, you can nest folders inside each other. For example, you can add a new `/dashboard/settings` route by nesting two new folders in the `app` directory.

The `/dashboard/settings` route is composed of three segments:

- `/` (Root segment)
- `dashboard` (Segment)
- `settings` (Leaf segment)

## File Conventions

Next.js provides a set of special files to create UI with specific behavior in nested routes:

| | |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [`layout`](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/layouts-and-templates#layouts) | Shared UI for a segment and its children |
| [`page`](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/pages) | Unique UI of a route and make routes publicly accessible |
| [`loading`](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/loading-ui-and-streaming) | Loading UI for a segment and its children |
| [`not-found`](/docs/app/api-reference/file-conventions/not-found) | Not found UI for a segment and its children |
| [`error`](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/error-handling) | Error UI for a segment and its children |
| [`global-error`](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/error-handling) | Global Error UI |
| [`route`](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/route-handlers) | Server-side API endpoint |
| [`template`](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/layouts-and-templates#templates) | Specialized re-rendered Layout UI |
| [`default`](/docs/app/api-reference/file-conventions/default) | Fallback UI for [Parallel Routes](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/parallel-routes) |

> **Good to know**: `.js`, `.jsx`, or `.tsx` file extensions can be used for special files.
## Component Hierarchy

The React components defined in special files of a route segment are rendered in a specific hierarchy:

- `layout.js`
- `template.js`
- `error.js` (React error boundary)
- `loading.js` (React suspense boundary)
- `not-found.js` (React error boundary)
- `page.js` or nested `layout.js`

<Image
alt="Component Hierarchy for File Conventions"
srcLight="/docs/light/file-conventions-component-hierarchy.png"
srcDark="/docs/dark/file-conventions-component-hierarchy.png"
width="1600"
height="643"
/>

In a nested route, the components of a segment will be nested **inside** the components of its parent segment.

<Image
alt="Nested File Conventions Component Hierarchy"
srcLight="/docs/light/nested-file-conventions-component-hierarchy.png"
srcDark="/docs/dark/nested-file-conventions-component-hierarchy.png"
width="1600"
height="863"
/>

## Colocation

In addition to special files, you have the option to colocate your own files (e.g. components, styles, tests, etc) inside folders in the `app` directory.

This is because while folders define routes, only the contents returned by `page.js` or `route.js` are publicly addressable.

<Image
alt="An example folder structure with colocated files"
srcLight="/docs/light/project-organization-colocation.png"
srcDark="/docs/dark/project-organization-colocation.png"
width="1600"
height="1011"
/>

Learn more about [Project Organization and Colocation](/docs/app/getting-started/project-structure#colocation).

## Advanced Routing Patterns

The App Router also provides a set of conventions to help you implement more advanced routing patterns. These include:

- [Parallel Routes](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/parallel-routes): Allow you to simultaneously show two or more pages in the same view that can be navigated independently. You can use them for split views that have their own sub-navigation. E.g. Dashboards.
- [Intercepting Routes](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/intercepting-routes): Allow you to intercept a route and show it in the context of another route. You can use these when keeping the context for the current page is important. E.g. Seeing all tasks while editing one task or expanding a photo in a feed.

These patterns allow you to build richer and more complex UIs, democratizing features that were historically complex for small teams and individual developers to implement.

## Next Steps

Now that you understand the fundamentals of routing in Next.js, follow the links below to create your first routes:
6 changes: 3 additions & 3 deletions docs/01-app/03-building-your-application/11-upgrading/05-app-router-migration.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ After you've updated, see the following sections for next steps:

Next.js 13 introduced the new [App Router](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing) with new features and conventions. The new Router is available in the `app` directory and co-exists with the `pages` directory.

Upgrading to Next.js 13 does **not** require using the new [App Router](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing#the-app-router). You can continue using `pages` with new features that work in both directories, such as the updated [Image component](#image-component), [Link component](#link-component), [Script component](#script-component), and [Font optimization](#font-optimization).
Upgrading to Next.js 13 does **not** require using the App Router. You can continue using `pages` with new features that work in both directories, such as the updated [Image component](#image-component), [Link component](#link-component), [Script component](#script-component), and [Font optimization](#font-optimization).

### `<Image/>` Component

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -100,13 +100,13 @@ See the [Font Optimization](/docs/app/building-your-application/optimizing/fonts

> **🎥 Watch:** Learn how to incrementally adopt the App Router → [YouTube (16 minutes)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQMSietiFm0).
Moving to the App Router may be the first time using React features that Next.js builds on top of such as Server Components, Suspense, and more. When combined with new Next.js features such as [special files](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing#file-conventions) and [layouts](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/layouts-and-templates#layouts), migration means new concepts, mental models, and behavioral changes to learn.
Moving to the App Router may be the first time using React features that Next.js builds on top of such as Server Components, Suspense, and more. When combined with new Next.js features such as [special files](/docs/app/api-reference/file-conventions) and [layouts](/docs/app/api-reference/file-conventions/layout), migration means new concepts, mental models, and behavioral changes to learn.

We recommend reducing the combined complexity of these updates by breaking down your migration into smaller steps. The `app` directory is intentionally designed to work simultaneously with the `pages` directory to allow for incremental page-by-page migration.

- The `app` directory supports nested routes _and_ layouts. [Learn more](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing).
- Use nested folders to [define routes](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/defining-routes) and a special `page.js` file to make a route segment publicly accessible. [Learn more](#step-4-migrating-pages).
- [Special file conventions](/docs/app/building-your-application/routing#file-conventions) are used to create UI for each route segment. The most common special files are `page.js` and `layout.js`.
- [Special file conventions](/docs/app/api-reference/file-conventions) are used to create UI for each route segment. The most common special files are `page.js` and `layout.js`.
- Use `page.js` to define UI unique to a route.
- Use `layout.js` to define UI that is shared across multiple routes.
- `.js`, `.jsx`, or `.tsx` file extensions can be used for special files.
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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion docs/01-app/04-api-reference/03-file-conventions/index.mdx
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@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
---
title: File Conventions
description: API Reference for Next.js Special Files.
description: API Reference for Next.js File Conventions.
---
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