# `react-doctor/server-fetch-without-revalidate`

Pass `{ next: { revalidate: <seconds> } }` (or `cache: "no-store"` / `next: { tags: [...] }`) so stale cached data doesn't silently persist

- **Status:** Active
- **Category:** Server
- **Assessment:** Evidence-required risk
- **Required evidence:** source code
- **Default configuration:** Enabled
- **Default severity:** warn
- **Scope:** All supported frameworks
- **Active when:** always
- **Disabled when:** nextjs:15, nextjs:static-export
- **Tags:** server-action
- **Priority:** 47 (P3)
- **Source:** oxlint-plugin-react-doctor
- **Rule set:** oxlint-plugin-react-doctor 0.9.3 (prompt schema 2)

## Validation prompt

Confirm the detector match and collect the required evidence before deciding whether an edit is warranted.

Rule only fires in App Router files matching app/.../{route,page,layout,template,loading,error,default}.tsx? that do not start with 'use client'. It reports fetch(url) calls whose second argument is missing or omits both a cache key and next.revalidate / next.tags. Note: Next.js 15+ removed the auto-cache default, so on newer projects treat this as a hardening recommendation rather than an active staleness bug.

## Evidence boundary

The diagnostic proves only that the detector's modeled source pattern matched. It does not prove runtime impact, product intent, rendered failure, or that one remediation is correct.

Establish the environment, explicit repository policy, relevant exceptions, and required rendered or runtime evidence before deciding the occurrence. This page’s Assessment and Required evidence fields define the review contract.

Default severity is registry metadata. Use the occurrence's JSON severity after repository configuration when ordering real findings.

Record one outcome:

- **Confirmed failure:** The required evidence establishes the violation.
- **Rejected:** A documented exception or false-positive predicate applies.
- **Needs evidence:** Named evidence can still be collected.
- **Unavailable:** Required evidence cannot be collected in this run.
- **Waived with evidence:** An authorized, scoped exception applies to an established failure.
- **Observation:** The review records an optional tradeoff without claiming a defect.

A waiver records its scope, authority, evidence, and review or expiry condition. It is not a pass or false positive.

## Fix prompt

Apply this candidate correction only after the required evidence confirms the risk.

Pass an explicit cache directive: fetch(url, { next: { revalidate: 60 } }) for time-based revalidation, { next: { tags: ['user'] } } paired with revalidateTag() for on-demand invalidation, or { cache: 'no-store' } for fully dynamic data. Spelling out the intent also documents staleness expectations for reviewers. See https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/functions/fetch

## Repository-wide copy prompt

Use this only for a repository-wide pass after validating each occurrence. For one occurrence, use the occurrence-level guidance above.

````text
Fix every confirmed `react-doctor/server-fetch-without-revalidate` diagnostic in the current repository.

Required change:
- Pass an explicit cache directive: fetch(url, { next: { revalidate: 60 } }) for time-based revalidation, { next: { tags: ['user'] } } paired with revalidateTag() for on-demand invalidation, or { cache: 'no-store' } for fully dynamic data. Spelling out the intent also documents staleness expectations for reviewers. See https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/functions/fetch.

Validation before editing:
Rule only fires in App Router files matching app/.../{route,page,layout,template,loading,error,default}.tsx? that do not start with 'use client'. It reports fetch(url) calls whose second argument is missing or omits both a cache key and next.revalidate / next.tags. Note: Next.js 15+ removed the auto-cache default, so on newer projects treat this as a hardening recommendation rather than an active staleness bug.

Constraints:
- Make the smallest change that fixes the root cause.
- Preserve behavior and interfaces unrelated to this diagnostic.
- Reuse existing project components, utilities, and conventions.
- Preserve resource ownership and cleanup. Do not move work into a hotter render or frame path.
- If syntax proves only a candidate cost, require a relevant trace, bundle report, payload measurement, or metric before editing.
- Without evidence, record Needs evidence. Compare the same scenario before and after; keep the change only when its target metric improves without regression.
- Adapt identifiers and framework details instead of copying blindly.
- Do not disable the rule or suppress matching code.
- Do not edit code when this condition applies: nextjs:15, nextjs:static-export.

Assessment:
- Record detector evidence, applicability facts, assumptions, missing evidence, and the rule class for this occurrence.
- Return one outcome: Confirmed failure, Rejected, Needs evidence, Unavailable, Waived with evidence, or Observation.
- A waiver records the established failure, scope, authority, evidence, and review or expiry condition. It is not a pass or false positive.

Verification:
- Run focused tests for the changed behavior.
- Run React Doctor and confirm this diagnostic no longer appears from changed code.
- Run an unfiltered scan of the affected scope before claiming no cross-category regression.
- Report the files changed and any checks you could not run.
````