Day 7 — Why Next.js Removed Middleware & Introduced Proxy
Welcome to Day 7 of building my AI SaaS!
In today’s video, I break down one of the biggest changes in the latest Next.js update —
👉 Middleware is removed
👉 Proxy + Interception Routes are the new replacement
This episode explains why middleware became a problem, how Next.js apps were slowing down, and why the new Node.js-powered Proxy system is a much better solution.
🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Video
⭐ 1. What Middleware Really Is
A gatekeeper between frontend → backend
Used for: redirects, URL rewrites, header modification, auth checks
Ran on Edge Runtime for speed
⭐ 2. Why Middleware Became a Problem
Developers misused it like Express.js middleware
People switched its runtime to Node.js
Heavy logic → database queries → slow apps
Security issues due to its closeness to frontend
Edge environment limitations
⭐ 3. Why Next.js Replaced Middleware with Proxy
Proxy can use full Node.js runtime
We can now run any Node operation (DB, crypto, APIs)
Better control over request interception
More secure & more powerful
Works like a centralized gatekeeper without slowing the app
⭐ 4. What This Means for Developers
Middleware → Deprecated
Proxy + Interception Routes → Future of request handling
More powerful backend logic directly inside Next.js
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