Implement skeleton screens in CSR using conditional rendering with loading states, CSS skeleton animations, and Suspense boundaries for data fetching with libraries like SWR or React Query
Skeleton screens are placeholder UI that mirror the layout of final content, showing users what to expect while data loads. In CSR-heavy Next.js applications, they're essential for reducing perceived latency and preventing jarring layout shifts. You can implement them through conditional rendering with loading states, CSS-based skeleton components with shimmer animations, and for more advanced scenarios, React Suspense boundaries integrated with data fetching libraries like SWR or React Query that handle loading states automatically .
Conditional rendering with useState: Track loading state manually with boolean flags and render skeleton components while data loads .
CSS skeleton components: Create reusable skeleton components that mimic your content's structure with animated gradient backgrounds .
Suspense integration: Use React Suspense with data fetching libraries that support suspense mode, allowing skeleton fallbacks at component boundaries .
SWR/React Query built-in states: Leverage the isLoading, isValidating, and error states returned by these hooks to conditionally render skeletons .
SWR provides built-in loading states that make skeleton implementation cleaner. The isLoading flag indicates the initial load, while isValidating shows background re-fetches. You can combine these with skeleton components that automatically show and hide based on data availability. The key advantage is that SWR handles caching and revalidation, so after the first load, users may see cached data instantly while skeletons only appear during the initial visit or when cache is invalidated .
React Query offers similar capabilities with its useQuery hook returning isLoading, isFetching, and error states. The pattern is nearly identical to SWR, but React Query provides additional features like isInitialLoading to distinguish between initial load and background refetches, which helps decide whether to show skeletons or keep showing stale data . This is particularly useful for maintaining a smooth experience when data updates in the background.
React Suspense provides a declarative approach where components throw promises while loading, and a fallback UI renders until they resolve. With data fetching libraries that support suspense mode, you can wrap data-dependent components in Suspense boundaries with skeleton fallbacks. This eliminates manual loading state management, though it requires careful consideration of where to place boundaries to avoid waterfall issues .
Match skeleton dimensions precisely to final content to minimize layout shift (CLS) .
Use CSS animations like pulse or shimmer to indicate loading state and improve perceived performance .
Show skeletons only during initial load; for background updates, consider subtle indicators or keep showing stale data .
Create reusable skeleton components for common UI patterns (cards, lists, profiles) .
Test on slow networks (DevTools throttling) to ensure skeletons appear long enough to be meaningful .
Combine with Next.js loading.tsx files for route-level loading states .