Next.js Link vs Anchor Tag: The Ultimate Guide to Fast Navigation

Choosing the right navigation method in Next.js has a direct impact on application performance and user experience. The <Link> component is the recommended approach for internal navigation, while the standard <a> tag should be reserved exclusively for external links.

Understanding the Core Differences

Client-Side vs Server-Side Navigation

The fundamental difference lies in how each handles navigation. The <Link> component enables client-side navigation without full-page reloads, thereby maintaining the single-page application experience. In contrast, the <a> tag triggers a complete server round-trip, re-fetching the entire page and destroying all client-side state.

Code

import Link from 'next/link'

// Client-side navigation - no page reload
<Link href="/about">About Page</Link>

// Server-side navigation - full page reload
<a href="/about">About Page</a>

Automatic Prefetching Magic

Next.js automatically prefetches pages linked with <Link> when they appear in the viewport, loading them in the background for instant navigation. This prefetching can reduce perceived navigation time by up to 50%, creating a seamless user experience. Anchor tags lack any prefetching capability.

Code

import Link from 'next/link'

export default function NavBar() {
  return (
    <nav>
      {/* These pages will be prefetched automatically */}
      <Link href="/home">Home</Link>
      <Link href="/about">About</Link>
      <Link href="/contact">Contact</Link>
    </nav>
  )
}

In production, Next.js prefetches the entire page when no loading.jsx/tsx exists, or prefetches up to the first loading boundary when one is present. The client cache TTL varies accordingly—cached until app reload or for 30 seconds (configurable), respectively.

Advanced Link Component Features

Dynamic Route Navigation

Template literals make linking to dynamic segments straightforward:

Code

import Link from 'next/link'

interface Post {
  id: number
  title: string
  slug: string
}

export default function PostList({ posts }: { posts: Post[] }) {
  return (
    <ul>
      {posts.map((post) => (
        <li key={post.id}>
          <Link href={`/blog/${post.slug}`}>{post.title}</Link>
        </li>
      ))}
    </ul>
  )
}

Active Link Styling

Combine usePathname() with <Link> to highlight active navigation items:

Code

'use client'

import { usePathname } from 'next/navigation'
import Link from 'next/link'

export function Navigation() {
  const pathname = usePathname()

  return (
    <nav>
      <Link 
        className={`link ${pathname === '/' ? 'active' : ''}`} 
        href="/"
      >
        Home
      </Link>
      <Link
        className={`link ${pathname === '/about' ? 'active' : ''}`}
        href="/about"
      >
        About
      </Link>
    </nav>
  )
}

Replace Instead of Push

Control browser history by using the replace prop to prevent adding new entries to the history stack:

Code

import Link from 'next/link'

export default function LoginPage() {
  return (
    <Link href="/dashboard" replace>
      Go to Dashboard
    </Link>
  )
}

When replace={true}, clicking the browser's back button skips the replaced page entirely.

Scroll Control

The <Link> component scrolls to the top of new pages by default. Disable this behavior when needed:

Code

import Link from 'next/link'

export default function Page() {
  return (
    <>
      {/* Scroll to specific section */}
      <Link href="/dashboard#settings">Settings</Link>
      
      {/* Prevent auto-scroll */}
      <Link href="/#section" scroll={false}>
        Stay at current position
      </Link>
    </>
  )
}

Query Parameters

Pass query parameters using an object syntax:

Code

<Link
  href={{
    pathname: '/products',
    query: { category: 'electronics', sort: 'price' },
  }}
>
  Electronics
</Link>

Performance Optimization Strategies

Disabling Prefetch

Control prefetching behavior for resource optimization:

Code

import Link from 'next/link'

export default function Footer() {
  return (
    <Link href="/privacy" prefetch={false}>
      Privacy Policy
    </Link>
  )
}

Automatic prefetching only runs in production mode. Setting prefetch={false} prevents background loading until the user clicks.

Hover-Triggered Prefetching

Implement custom prefetch behavior for fine-grained control:

Code

'use client'

import Link from 'next/link'
import { useState } from 'react'

export function HoverPrefetchLink({ 
  href, 
  children 
}: { 
  href: string
  children: React.ReactNode 
}) {
  const [active, setActive] = useState(false)

  return (
    <Link
      href={href}
      prefetch={active ? null : false}
      onMouseEnter={() => setActive(true)}
    >
      {children}
    </Link>
  )
}

This pattern defers prefetching until the user shows intent by hovering, balancing performance with resource consumption.

Manual Prefetching

Programmatically prefetch routes outside the viewport or based on user behavior:

Code

'use client'

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

export default function HomePage() {
  const router = useRouter()

  useEffect(() => {
    // Prefetch critical pages on mount
    router.prefetch('/pricing')
    router.prefetch('/features')
  }, [router])

  return <div>Welcome to our app</div>
}

When to Use Each Approach

Use <Link> for:

•

All internal navigation within the application

•

Dynamic routes and programmatic navigation

•

Routes benefiting from prefetching and performance optimization

Use <a> for:

•

External links to different domains

•

Opening content in new tabs with target="_blank"

•

Downloadable files or non-page resources

Code

import Link from 'next/link'

export default function Navigation() {
  return (
    <nav>
      {/* Internal navigation */}
      <Link href="/about">About Us</Link>
      
      {/* External link */}
      <a 
        href="https://github.com/vercel/next.js" 
        target="_blank" 
        rel="noopener noreferrer"
      >
        GitHub
      </a>
      
      {/* Download link */}
      <a href="/documents/report.pdf" download>
        Download Report
      </a>
    </nav>
  )
}

SEO and Accessibility

Both approaches remain SEO-friendly since <Link> renders as an <a> tag under the hood, ensuring search engine crawlers can follow links properly. The component maintains accessibility standards while delivering superior performance.

The Performance Impact

The performance difference is substantial—<Link> components eliminate network requests for already-loaded assets and maintain the JavaScript runtime, creating responsiveness comparable to native applications. State preservation during navigation means forms, scroll positions, and component data persist across route changes.

Table of Contents

Next.js Link vs Anchor Tag: The Ultimate Guide to Fast Navigation

Understanding the Core Differences

Client-Side vs Server-Side Navigation

Automatic Prefetching Magic

Advanced Link Component Features

Dynamic Route Navigation

Active Link Styling

Replace Instead of Push

Scroll Control

Query Parameters

Performance Optimization Strategies

Disabling Prefetch

Hover-Triggered Prefetching

Manual Prefetching

When to Use Each Approach

SEO and Accessibility

The Performance Impact

Tags

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