What server components actually do

Server components run on the server and send rendered output rather than code. That is why they can read a database directly and why they add nothing to your bundle.

What this lesson covers

• Render on the server and ship no component code to the client
• Read data and secrets directly, without an API round trip
• Understand why server components cannot hold state or effects

This lesson sits in Server and Client Components, part of Next.js App Router in Depth. It assumes what came before it and leads directly into the next lesson in the module.