Understanding SSR in Angular

Oct 13, 2025 by sorusgentrification.com 15 views

Introduction

When working on an Angular application, especially with Nx, it's common to encounter situations where you need to disable Server-Side Rendering (SSR) while serving the application locally. This can be particularly useful during development, testing, or when you need to focus on client-side rendering aspects of your application.

Understanding SSR in Angular

Server-Side Rendering (SSR) is a technique where the server generates the initial HTML of a web page on each request. This approach offers several benefits, including improved SEO, faster page loads, and enhanced user experience. However, it also introduces additional complexity, especially when it comes to debugging and development.

Nx and Angular SSR

Nx is a set of extensible dev tools for monorepos, built by the creators of Angular. When you run the @nx/application - setup-ssr generator, Nx creates the necessary files for SSR, including separate executors for serving the application with and without SSR. This allows you to easily switch between client-side rendering (CSR) and SSR.

Disabling SSR while serving application locally

To disable SSR while serving the application locally, you'll need to modify the angular.json file and the serverless configuration. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Modify the `angular.json` file

Open the angular.json file and locate the projects section. Find the your-app-name project and update the serve configuration as follows:

{
  "projects": {
    "your-app-name": {
      ...
      "serve": {
        ...
        "options": {
          ...
          "disableSsr": true
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 2: Update the `serverless` configuration

In the serverless.yml file, update the functions section to disable SSR:

functions:
  app:
    handler: src/main.serverless
    events:
      - http:
          path: /
          method: get
          request: true
          response: true
    environment:
      DISABLE_SSR: true

Step 3: Run the application with disabled SSR

After updating the angular.json and serverless.yml files, run the following command to serve the application with disabled SSR:

nx serve your-app-name --disable-ssr

Benefits of disabling SSR while serving application locally

Disabling SSR while serving the application locally offers several benefits, including:

Faster development and testing: Without the overhead of SSR, you can focus on client-side rendering aspects of your application, making development and testing faster.
Easier debugging: With CSR, debugging becomes simpler, as you can directly inspect the client-side code and its behavior.
Improved performance: Disabling SSR can improve performance, especially during development, as the server doesn't need to generate HTML on each request.

Conclusion

Disabling SSR while serving the application locally in Angular 17 is a straightforward process that requires modifying the angular.json and serverless.yml files. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily switch between CSR and SSR, depending on your development needs. Remember to run the application with the --disable-ssr flag to take advantage of the benefits of CSR.

Additional Tips and Considerations

Make sure to update the angular.json and serverless.yml files in all affected projects, if you're working on a monorepo.
When disabling SSR, ensure that your application still works as expected, especially in terms of routing and navigation.
Consider using a tool like Nx's @nx/serve command to simplify the process of serving your application with disabled SSR.

Introduction

In our previous article, we discussed how to disable Server-Side Rendering (SSR) while serving the application locally in Angular 17. In this Q&A article, we'll address some common questions and concerns related to disabling SSR in Angular applications.

Q: Why would I want to disable SSR while serving the application locally?

A: Disabling SSR while serving the application locally can be beneficial during development, testing, or when you need to focus on client-side rendering aspects of your application. It can improve performance, make debugging easier, and allow you to work on client-side code without the overhead of SSR.

Q: How do I know if I'm using SSR in my Angular application?

A: If you've run the @nx/application - setup-ssr generator, you're likely using SSR in your Angular application. You can also check the angular.json file for the serve configuration, which should include the disableSsr option.

Q: What are the benefits of disabling SSR while serving the application locally?

A: Disabling SSR while serving the application locally offers several benefits, including:

Faster development and testing: Without the overhead of SSR, you can focus on client-side rendering aspects of your application, making development and testing faster.
Easier debugging: With CSR, debugging becomes simpler, as you can directly inspect the client-side code and its behavior.
Improved performance: Disabling SSR can improve performance, especially during development, as the server doesn't need to generate HTML on each request.

Q: How do I disable SSR while serving the application locally in Angular 17?

A: To disable SSR while serving the application locally in Angular 17, you'll need to modify the angular.json file and the serverless configuration. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Modify the `angular.json` file

Open the angular.json file and locate the projects section. Find the your-app-name project and update the serve configuration as follows:

{
  "projects": {
    "your-app-name": {
      ...
      "serve": {
        ...
        "options": {
          ...
          "disableSsr": true
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 2: Update the `serverless` configuration

In the serverless.yml file, update the functions section to disable SSR:

functions:
  app:
    handler: src/main.serverless
    events:
      - http:
          path: /
          method: get
          request: true
          response: true
    environment:
      DISABLE_SSR: true

Step 3: Run the application with disabled SSR

After updating the angular.json and serverless.yml files, run the following command to serve the application with disabled SSR:

nx serve your-app-name --disable-ssr

Q: What are some common issues I might encounter when disabling SSR while serving the application locally?

A: Some common issues you might encounter when disabling SSR while serving the application locally include:

Routing and navigation issues: Make sure that your application still works as expected, especially in terms of routing and navigation.
Client-side code issues: Ensure that your client-side code is working correctly, as SSR might have been affecting its behavior.
Server-side code issues: Verify that your server-side code is working correctly, as disabling SSR might have introduced new issues.

Q: How can I troubleshoot issues related to disabling SSR while serving the application locally?

A: To troubleshoot issues related to disabling SSR while serving the application locally, follow these steps:

Check the console logs: Inspect the console logs for any errors or warnings related to SSR or client-side code.
Verify the application's behavior: Ensure that the application is working as expected, especially in terms of routing and navigation.
Consult the documentation: Refer to the official Angular documentation for guidance on disabling SSR and troubleshooting related issues.

Conclusion

Disabling SSR while serving the application locally in Angular 17 can be a useful technique for improving performance, making debugging easier, and focusing on client-side rendering aspects of your application. By following the steps outlined in this article and addressing common questions and concerns, you can effectively disable SSR while serving the application locally and take advantage of its benefits.