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Quick summary of this article
Free Next.js 16 tutorial in 12 chapters — App Router, Server Components, caching, Server Actions, Prisma, Auth.js, performance and deployment, with TypeScript.
- The course is 12 modules on Next.js 16.4 with TypeScript, running from installation to production deployment.
- Modules 1 to 4 cover the App Router, nested layouts, Tailwind CSS 4 styling, dynamic routes and SEO metadata.
- Modules 5 to 8 cover Server vs Client Components, caching and revalidation, Server Actions with Zod, and Route Handlers.
- Modules 9 to 12 cover Prisma 7 with PostgreSQL, Auth.js v5 authentication, performance optimisation, and testing plus deployment.
- Every module contains copy-paste TypeScript code and a recap, and links back to this syllabus.
A complete, free Next.js 16 course in 12 modules — from your very first page to a deployed, authenticated, database-backed application. Every module ships working TypeScript code you can paste straight into your own project, so you learn by building rather than by reading theory.
What You Will Learn
- Build production apps with the App Router, React Server Components and React 19.
- Handle async
params,searchParams,cookies()andheaders()correctly in Next.js 16. - Cache deliberately with
use cache,cacheLifeandcacheTag, then invalidate withrevalidateTagandupdateTag. - Write forms and mutations with Server Actions and validate them with Zod.
- Model data in PostgreSQL with Prisma 7 and query it with full type safety.
- Add authentication and role-based authorisation using Auth.js v5 and
proxy.ts. - Optimise images, fonts, bundles and streaming for real Lighthouse scores.
- Test with Vitest and Playwright, then deploy with Docker or PM2.
Beginner — Modules 1 to 4
Start from an empty folder. By the end of this block you can scaffold a project, build nested layouts, style a responsive dark-mode UI and serve SEO-ready dynamic pages.
Intermediate — Modules 5 to 8
Learn the architecture that makes Next.js fast: the server/client boundary, the caching model, Server Actions for mutations, and REST endpoints for everything else.
Advanced — Modules 9 to 12
Ship a real product: PostgreSQL with Prisma 7, authentication and role-based access, performance work, tests and a production deployment you can actually operate.
Course Details
- Version: Next.js 16.4.3, React 19.3, TypeScript 5.9, Tailwind CSS 4.3.
- Level: Beginner to advanced — no prior Next.js experience required.
- Format: 12 self-contained modules, each with copy-paste code and a recap.
- Prerequisites: Node.js 20.9 or newer and working knowledge of JavaScript.
- Stack covered: App Router, Prisma 7, PostgreSQL, Auth.js v5, Zod 4, Vitest, Playwright, Docker, PM2.
Start with Module 1 above, or jump straight to any chapter that matches what you are building today. Each module links back to this syllabus so you can always find your place.