One of the key decisions developers face when building modern web applications is whether how to store state in the URL. Once you’ve decided to store state in the URL, the next step is choosing the right format for your parameters: search params (query params) or path params. Both options offer different advantages depending on the context of your application. Understanding when to use each can make your URL structure more intuitive, flexible, and user-friendly.
When to Use Search Params
Search parameters are ideal for managing temporary, session-based state or user interactions that don’t need to be a permanent part of the URL structure. They are best suited for things like filtering, sorting, pagination, and tracking temporary states within a session.
For example, if you have a product listing page where users can filter products by category, sort them by price, or paginate through results, these types of states are typically stored in the URL as search parameters. A user can share a URL with the exact filter settings or return to the same page after refreshing, making it easy to track and manipulate these settings without affecting the core structure of the application.
Search parameters work especially well for scenarios where the state is ephemeral and should not define a specific resource or entity. In these cases, the state is a part of the user’s interaction with the page, rather than the page itself.
Another common use of search parameters is session tracking or capturing temporary user preferences. For example, in a multi-step form or wizard-like interface, search parameters can store the current step or the state of the form without requiring a full page reload or altering the URL path.
When to Use Path Params
Path parameters are better suited for situations where the state is tied to a specific resource or unique entity in your application. These parameters are part of the URL structure itself, representing a unique resource such as a product, user profile, or a specific blog post.
If your app has dynamic routes, where the content being displayed corresponds to an entity or resource, path parameters are the natural choice. For instance, a product detail page might use a path parameter like /products/[id] to dynamically load information about a specific product based on its unique identifier. Similarly, user profiles often use path parameters like /user/[username] to load a specific user’s data.
Path parameters are also helpful when defining a hierarchical structure in your application. For example, in a blog system, the URL might be /blog/[category]/[slug], where the category defines the broader context (e.g., „technology”) and the slug identifies the specific article. This creates a clean, SEO-friendly URL that represents the content’s place within the app’s structure.
Path Params for SEO and Clean Structure
One of the strongest advantages of path parameters is their ability to maintain a clean and semantic URL structure. URLs that use path parameters are easy to understand, share, and index by search engines. They reflect the inherent structure of the application, making them ideal for resources that should be treated as distinct entities. For instance, a URL like /products/123 is intuitive and represents a unique product, making it more accessible for both users and search engines alike.
Combining Search and Path Params
In some cases, you might find that combining both search and path parameters in the same application is beneficial. For example, you could use path parameters to define the resource (like /products/[id]) and search parameters to manage filtering or sorting (/products/[id]?color=red&sort=price). This approach allows you to maintain a clean URL structure for the resource while still capturing temporary state information.
Conclusion
Deciding between search and path parameters depends on the nature of the state you’re managing in your Next.js application. Use search parameters when dealing with temporary, session-based data like filters, sorting, or pagination—anything that doesn’t define a unique resource. On the other hand, use path parameters when the state corresponds to a specific, permanent resource, such as products, user profiles, or blog posts.
By understanding the strengths of each approach, you can design URLs that are intuitive, flexible, and easy to manage, improving both the user experience and the maintainability of your Next.js application.