Why I Switched My Portfolio Site to Next.js App Router

The Problem With My Old Setup

My portfolio site used to run on the Pages Router, and while it worked fine, I kept hitting friction every time I wanted to add something modern � nested layouts, streaming, or server components.

After a weekend of research, I decided to rewrite the routing layer from scratch using the App Router. It was not a small decision, but it turned out to be the right one.

What Changed

• Server components by default � less client JS shipped
• Nested layouts for shared navigation and footers
• Built-in loading and error boundaries per route segment
• generateMetadata() for per-page SEO instead of a global Head component

The migration took about three days end to end, including moving every page under app/[locale]/ to support i18n routing.

Was It Worth It?

Absolutely. The mental model is simpler once you get past the initial learning curve, and the performance wins were immediate � Lighthouse scores went from the high 80s to consistently 95+.

If you are still on the Pages Router and considering the move, my advice is: start with one route, get comfortable with the conventions, then migrate the rest incrementally.