What is Single-page application?
Also called: SPA
The short answer
A single-page application loads one page and then rewrites it with JavaScript as the visitor navigates, instead of loading a new page from the server each time.
Single-page application, explained
SPAs feel app-like but can be slow to start and hard for search engines if content only appears after JavaScript runs. Server rendering fixes both.
Questions people ask about Single-page application
What is Single-page application?
A single-page application loads one page and then rewrites it with JavaScript as the visitor navigates, instead of loading a new page from the server each time.
Related terms
Server-side rendering builds a page's HTML on the server for each request, so the visitor and search engines receive readable content immediately.
HydrationHydration is the step where JavaScript attaches to server-rendered HTML in the browser, turning a static-looking page into an interactive one.
Web appA web app is software that runs in the browser and lets people do things, such as edit, book, chat or buy, rather than only read.
DOMThe DOM is the browser's live, tree-shaped model of a web page; JavaScript reads and changes the DOM to update what visitors see.
Part of the Web Encyclopedia by Apex Flow Digital. Definitions are general knowledge, kept current, with no invented statistics.