Parallel Routes in Next.js 16

Concept

Parallel routes allow you to simultaneously render multiple pages within the same layout. Each route is defined in a "slot" using the @folder naming convention.

Key characteristics:

• Slots are defined with @ prefix (e.g., @team, @analytics)
• Each slot is passed as a prop to the parent layout
• Slots render independently and can have their own loading/error states
• Navigation within one slot doesn't affect other slots

Basic Structure

app/
├── @team/
│   ├── page.tsx
│   └── default.tsx
├── @analytics/
│   ├── page.tsx
│   └── default.tsx
├── layout.tsx
└── page.tsx

The layout receives slots as props:

export default function Layout({
  children,
  team,
  analytics,
}: {
  children: React.ReactNode
  team: React.ReactNode
  analytics: React.ReactNode
}) {
  return (
    <div>
      <div>{children}</div>
      <div className="grid grid-cols-2 gap-4">
        <div>{team}</div>
        <div>{analytics}</div>
      </div>
    </div>
  )
}

default.tsx Requirement

CRITICAL: Every slot MUST have a default.tsx file.

When navigating to a route that doesn't match the current slot, Next.js will render the default.tsx fallback. Without it, you'll get a 404 error.

export default function Default() {
  return null
}

Common error:

Error: The default export is not a React Component in route: /@team

Solution: Add default.tsx to every @slot directory.

Navigation Behavior

Parallel routes handle navigation differently than normal routes:

Soft Navigation

When navigating using <Link> or router.push():

• Active slots maintain their current state
• Only the children segment updates
• Slots remain "mounted"

Hard Navigation

When navigating via browser refresh or direct URL entry:

• All slots reset to their default state
• default.tsx files render for unmatched routes
• Each slot independently resolves its route

Example scenario:

app/
├── @modal/
│   ├── login/
│   │   └── page.tsx
│   └── default.tsx
├── layout.tsx
└── page.tsx

1. User visits / → @modal renders default.tsx
2. User clicks link to /login → @modal renders login/page.tsx
3. User refreshes page → URL changes back to /, @modal renders default.tsx

This is why intercepting routes typically use parallel routes for modals.

Slot Matching

Slots match based on the current URL segment:

app/
├── dashboard/
│   ├── @sidebar/
│   │   ├── settings/
│   │   │   └── page.tsx
│   │   └── default.tsx
│   ├── settings/
│   │   └── page.tsx
│   └── layout.tsx
└── page.tsx

At /dashboard/settings:

• dashboard/settings/page.tsx renders in children
• dashboard/@sidebar/settings/page.tsx renders in sidebar slot
• If @sidebar/settings/page.tsx doesn't exist, @sidebar/default.tsx renders

Conditional Rendering

You can conditionally render slots:

export default function Layout({
  children,
  modal,
  auth,
}: {
  children: React.ReactNode
  modal: React.ReactNode
  auth: React.ReactNode
}) {
  const session = await getSession()

  return (
    <div>
      {children}
      {modal}
      {!session && auth}
    </div>
  )
}

Common Gotchas

1. Missing default.tsx

Problem: 404 errors when navigating Solution: Add default.tsx to every slot directory

2. Slot not rendering

Problem: Slot prop is undefined in layout Solution: Check slot name matches @folder name (case-sensitive)

3. Unexpected resets

Problem: Slot resets to default on navigation Solution: Ensure target route exists in slot, or use default.tsx intentionally

4. Nested layouts

Problem: Slots not accessible in nested layouts Solution: Slots only pass to immediate parent layout, not descendants

5. Route groups with slots

Problem: Confusion about where to place @slot folders Solution: Place slots at the same level as the layout that consumes them

app/
├── (marketing)/
│   ├── @hero/
│   │   └── page.tsx
│   ├── layout.tsx
│   └── page.tsx

Practical Example: Modal Pattern

app/
├── @modal/
│   ├── (.)photo/
│   │   └── [id]/
│   │       └── page.tsx
│   └── default.tsx
├── photo/
│   └── [id]/
│       └── page.tsx
├── layout.tsx
└── page.tsx

Layout with modal slot:

export default function Layout({
  children,
  modal,
}: {
  children: React.ReactNode
  modal: React.ReactNode
}) {
  return (
    <>
      {children}
      {modal}
    </>
  )
}

Modal slot default:

export default function Default() {
  return null
}

Intercepted route renders in modal:

export default function PhotoModal({ params }: { params: { id: string } }) {
  return (
    <dialog open>
      <img src={`/photos/${params.id}.jpg`} />
    </dialog>
  )
}

Direct route renders full page:

export default function PhotoPage({ params }: { params: { id: string } }) {
  return (
    <main>
      <img src={`/photos/${params.id}.jpg`} />
    </main>
  )
}

When to Use Parallel Routes

Good use cases:

• Dashboard layouts with independent panels
• Modal/drawer patterns with intercepting routes
• Split views with independent navigation
• A/B testing different UI sections
• Conditional sidebar/navigation rendering

Avoid when:

• Simple component composition suffices
• You need parent-child data flow
• Navigation should be tightly coupled
• You're just trying to organize files (use route groups instead)

References

• Next.js Docs: https://nextjs.org/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/parallel-routes
• Intercepting Routes: nextjs-16 skill ROUTING-intercepting-routes
• Route Groups: nextjs-16 skill ROUTING-route-groups