---
title: Use after() for Non-Blocking Operations
impact: MEDIUM
impactDescription: faster response times
tags: server, async, logging, analytics, side-effects
---

## Use after() for Non-Blocking Operations

Use Next.js's `after()` to schedule work that should execute after a response is sent. This prevents logging, analytics, and other side effects from blocking the response.

**Incorrect (blocks response):**

```tsx
import { logUserAction } from "@/app/utils";

export async function POST(request: Request) {
  // Perform mutation
  await updateDatabase(request);

  // Logging blocks the response
  const userAgent = request.headers.get("user-agent") || "unknown";
  await logUserAction({ userAgent });

  return new Response(JSON.stringify({ status: "success" }), {
    status: 200,
    headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  });
}
```

**Correct (non-blocking):**

```tsx
import { after } from "next/server";
import { headers, cookies } from "next/headers";
import { logUserAction } from "@/app/utils";

export async function POST(request: Request) {
  // Perform mutation
  await updateDatabase(request);

  // Log after response is sent
  after(async () => {
    const userAgent = (await headers()).get("user-agent") || "unknown";
    const sessionCookie = (await cookies()).get("session-id")?.value || "anonymous";

    logUserAction({ sessionCookie, userAgent });
  });

  return new Response(JSON.stringify({ status: "success" }), {
    status: 200,
    headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  });
}
```

The response is sent immediately while logging happens in the background.

**Common use cases:**

- Analytics tracking
- Audit logging
- Sending notifications
- Cache invalidation
- Cleanup tasks

**Important notes:**

- `after()` runs even if the response fails or redirects
- Works in Server Actions, Route Handlers, and Server Components

Reference: [https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/functions/after](https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/functions/after)