How to Use Server-Side Rendering With Angular Universal

Server-Side Rendering (SSR) is a powerful technique that enhances the performance and SEO capabilities of Angular applications. By leveraging Angular Universal, developers can render their applications on the server rather than the client, providing users with a faster experience and improving search engine indexing. In this guide, we'll explore how to implement server-side rendering with Angular Universal.

What is Angular Universal?

Angular Universal is a technology that allows you to pre-render your Angular applications on the server, sending fully rendered pages to the client. This process reduces the time it takes for a user to see content on the screen, improving the overall user experience and significantly boosting SEO. Since search engines can crawl server-rendered pages more effectively, Angular Universal enhances your application's visibility and ranking in search results.

Setting Up Angular Universal

To start using Angular Universal in your project, follow these steps:

1. Install Angular Universal

First, you need to add Angular Universal to your existing Angular application. Open your terminal and run:

ng add @nguniversal/express-engine

This command configures your application for server-side rendering and sets up an Express server.

2. Generate the Universal Module

Angular CLI will automatically create a new server module and necessary files for you. The key files include:

server.ts: The main entry point for the server-side application.
app.server.module.ts: The server module that bootstraps your application.

3. Update Your App Module

Ensure your Angular app module is correctly set up. You may need to import necessary modules specific to server rendering. The structure typically looks like this:

import { AppServerModule } from './app/app.server.module';

4. Create Routes Using Angular Router

Ensure that your routes are set up correctly to handle server-side rendering. Angular Universal uses a similar routing strategy as in the client-side; however, server-side routes are handled differently due to the pre-rendering.

5. Build the Application

Once everything is set, you can build your application for production. Run the following command:

npm run build:ssr

This will create both the browser and server bundles needed for deployment.

6. Serve the Application

To serve your application locally, you can use:

npm run serve:ssr

This command runs your application through the server, allowing you to test and ensure SSR is functioning correctly.

Benefits of Server-Side Rendering with Angular Universal

Implementing SSR with Angular Universal offers several advantages:

Improved SEO: Search engines can index server-rendered pages more efficiently.
Faster Time-to-Content: Users can see content faster with less initial loading time.
Better Performance: SSR can reduce the amount of JavaScript needed to be processed on the client side.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

When working with SSR, you might encounter some challenges. Common issues include:

State Transfer: Ensure you are transferring necessary state between server and client effectively.
Third-Party Libraries: Some libraries may not work seamlessly with SSR. Check for SSR-compatible versions of dependencies.

Conclusion

Using Server-Side Rendering with Angular Universal can significantly enhance your application's performance and SEO. By following the above steps, you can set up SSR effectively and reap the benefits of improved user experience and visibility in search engines. Embrace Angular Universal to take your Angular applications to the next level!

How to Use Server-Side Rendering With Angular Universal