Just trying to figure out the differences between Next.js rewrites and setting up a proxy with http-proxy-middleware. I have a Next.js project with some proxies setup in the API and wondering if I can swap out the proxies for rewrites.
What are the differences, if any? Is there something I’m missing?
rewrites are a convenient way of proxying requests without having to setup your own logic in a server - Next.js handles it for you instead.
Just like http-proxy-middleware, they allow you to map an incoming request path to a different destination. The main difference is that rewrites are also applied to client-side routing, when using Next.js' built-in router (through next/link or next/router) to navigate between pages.
From the rewrites documentation:
Rewrites act as a URL proxy and mask the destination path, making it appear the user hasn't changed their location on the site.
(...) Rewrites are applied to client-side routing, a
<Link href="/about">will have the rewrite applied in the above example.
