prefetch

The unstable_prefetch route segment config controls how a segment is prefetched during client-side navigation. The default ('auto') lets Next.js manage the strategy on your behalf — today that always means a static prefetch. The force-* options let you declare a specific behavior — use them with care, since they can affect both navigation latency and prefetch cost.

When you do set this export, consider pairing it with unstable_instant so validation can confirm that navigations to this segment actually produce an instant UI from the prefetched data. This is especially important for runtime prefetching.

export const unstable_prefetch = 'force-runtime'
 
export default function Page() {
  return <div>...</div>
}

Options

'auto' (default)

Lets Next.js manage prefetching for this segment. Today this always means a static prefetch — to try runtime prefetching, opt in explicitly with 'force-runtime'.

A future release will use unstable_instant validation to choose between static and runtime prefetching automatically. Leaving the default in place means your app will pick up that improvement without code changes.

You typically don't need to set this explicitly — omitting the export has the same effect.

'force-runtime'

Always prefetch this segment at runtime. The server renders a fresh response for the segment during prefetch, allowing runtime data like cookies, headers, and search params to be included. This is useful for personalized content that should still be available instantly on navigation.

export const unstable_prefetch = 'force-runtime'

'force-static'

Always prefetch this segment statically, even if it has not been validated with unstable_instant. Use this when you know the segment produces a valid static shell but do not want to set up instant validation.

'force-disabled'

Never prefetch this segment. The client will not request segment data ahead of navigation. Use this for segments where prefetching would be wasteful, for example pages behind authentication that are rarely visited.

Relationship with the <Link prefetch> prop

The unstable_prefetch segment config and the <Link prefetch> prop control different aspects of prefetching:

• The segment config informs Next.js about a segment's caching characteristics — whether its data can be prefetched statically, requires a runtime prefetch with the user's session, or should be skipped entirely. This applies to the segment regardless of which link points to it.
• The <Link prefetch> prop reflects the anticipated intent of a specific link on a specific page. A link that users rarely click can be deprioritized with prefetch={false}, independent of how the destination segments are configured.

In general, both of these are special circumstances. The default behavior — where Next.js manages prefetching for you — is optimized to provide a good navigation experience without manual configuration.

TypeScript

type Prefetch = 'auto' | 'force-disabled' | 'force-static' | 'force-runtime'
 
export const unstable_prefetch: Prefetch = 'force-runtime'

Version History