How to Use Incremental Static Regeneration with WordPress API in Next.js

Have you ever wondered how to make your WordPress-powered Next.js website lightning fast while keeping your content fresh? Let me introduce you to Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) – a game-changing feature that gives you the best of both worlds: the speed of static sites and the dynamism of server-side rendering.

Understanding ISR in Next.js

Think of ISR as your website’s smart refresh button. Instead of rebuilding your entire site when content changes, or serving stale content to your users, ISR regenerates pages in the background while serving the existing cached version. It’s like having a barista prepare your next coffee while you’re still enjoying your current one – smooth, efficient, and always fresh.

Setting Up WordPress API Integration

Before diving into ISR implementation, we need to set up our WordPress connection. Here’s how to get started:

const WORDPRESS_API_URL = process.env.WORDPRESS_API_URL

async function fetchAPI(query) {
  const res = await fetch(WORDPRESS_API_URL, {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify({ query }),
  })

  const json = await res.json()
  return json.data
}

Implementing ISR in Your Pages

Now for the exciting part – implementing ISR with your WordPress content. Here’s a real-world example that fetches blog posts:

export async function getStaticProps({ params }) {
  const post = await getPost(params.slug)

  return {
    props: { post },
    revalidate: 60 // Regenerate page every 60 seconds
  }
}

export async function getStaticPaths() {
  const posts = await getAllPostsWithSlug()

  return {
    paths: posts.map((post) => ({
      params: { slug: post.slug },
    })),
    fallback: 'blocking'
  }
}

Best Practices and Performance Tips

1. Choose your revalidation time wisely. For blog posts, 60 seconds might be fine, but for frequently updated content like stock prices, you might want a shorter duration.

2. Use fallback: ‘blocking’ for critical pages where SEO matters. This ensures search engines always see the latest content.

3. Implement error boundaries to handle failed regenerations gracefully.

4. Monitor your build times and adjust the number of pages generated at build time accordingly.

Conclusion

ISR is a powerful tool that can significantly improve your WordPress-powered Next.js site’s performance. By implementing it correctly, you’ll provide your users with a blazing-fast experience while keeping your content fresh and your developers happy.