Rendering refers to how your web application's content is processed and delivered to users. Appwrite Sites supports two primary rendering strategies, each with its own advantages and use cases. Understanding these strategies will help you choose the right approach for your project and optimize for performance, SEO, and user experience.
Differences
There are several differences between how static hosting and SSR work on Appwrite Sites.
| Static/SPA/PWA | SSR |
Pages are rendered at build time only | Pages are rendered every time a request is made to the server |
All console.log and console.error outputs at run-time are be displayed in the browser console | console.log and console.error outputs on server-side functions in the web app will be displayed in the response logs on Appwrite |
The default 404 error page is Appwrite-branded (can be updated) | The default 404 error page is taken from the framework |
Faster cold starts | Slower cold starts |
Can access environment variables only during build-time | Can access environment variables during build-time and run-time |
Supported for all frameworks | Limited support for certain frameworks (learn more on Frameworks page) |
Choosing the right approach
When deciding between static and SSR for your Appwrite Sites project, consider these factors:
Use static hosting when:
Your content doesn't change frequently
You want maximum performance with minimal server load
Your site is primarily client-side with limited data requirements
SEO is important but your content is relatively stable
You need compatibility with any web framework
Use SSR when:
Your content changes frequently or is user-specific
You need server-side access to data before rendering
SEO is critical for dynamic, frequently changing content
You want to reduce client-side JavaScript load
You're using a supported SSR framework (Next.js, Nuxt, etc.)
Many modern applications use a hybrid approach, leveraging static generation for stable content and SSR for dynamic pages. Some frameworks (like Next.js, Nuxt, and SvelteKit support) both approaches within the same application. The SSR rendering strategy in Appwrite Sites supports such applications.