Incremental Static Regeneration
A hybrid approach that combines static site generation with on-demand page updates, allowing content changes without full site rebuilds.
Definition
Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) enables static sites to update individual pages after build time, combining the performance benefits of static generation with the flexibility of dynamic content. Pages are regenerated on-demand when requested after a specified revalidation period.
This approach allows sites to serve fast, cached static pages while automatically updating content when changes occur, eliminating the need for complete site rebuilds for minor content updates or new pages.
Why It Matters
ISR solves the scalability challenges of traditional static sites by enabling content updates without lengthy rebuild processes. This reduces deployment times and server costs while maintaining the performance and SEO benefits of static generation.
For content-heavy sites, ISR enables teams to publish updates immediately while ensuring users always receive fast, cached content, balancing the need for fresh content with optimal performance.
Examples in Practice
E-commerce sites use ISR to update product pages with new inventory, pricing, or reviews without rebuilding thousands of static product pages, maintaining fast load times with current information.
News websites implement ISR to publish breaking news articles immediately while keeping the main site structure static, ensuring fast performance during traffic spikes.
Blog platforms leverage ISR to update individual posts with comments or corrections while maintaining static generation benefits for the majority of unchanged content.