# A refreshing take: using serverside rendering to reduce fragile DOM state

DevFeed: [A refreshing take: using serverside rendering to reduce fragile DOM state](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/a-refreshing-take-using-serverside-rendering-to-reduce-fragile-dom-state-29998.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://engineering.freeagent.com/2025/10/17/a-refreshing-take-using-serverside-rendering-to-reduce-fragile-dom-state/>)

Author: Simon Fish

Published: 2025-10-17T08:33:59Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [FreeAgent](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/freeagent.md>)

Topics: [Hotwire](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/hotwire.md>), [Front end](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/frontend.md>), [Rails](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/rails.md>), [Stimulus](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/stimulus.md>), [WebSocket](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/websocket.md>), [Document Object Model (DOM)](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/dom.md>), [tbox](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/tbox.md>)

Tags: [browser](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/browser.md>), [development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/development.md>), [frontend](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/frontend.md>), [hotwire](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/hotwire.md>), [html-elements](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/html-elements.md>), [js](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/js.md>), [rails](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/rails.md>), [ruby-on-rails](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ruby-on-rails.md>), [stimulus](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/stimulus.md>), [streams](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/streams.md>), [websocket](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/websocket.md>)

## AI overview

This article examines FreeAgent's use of server-side rendering with Hotwire, Turbo, Stimulus, and Rails to reduce fragile DOM state. It explains how Turbo Streams and Action Cable can update browser pages asynchronously, contrasting these behaviors with the original DOM-manipulation actions.

## Source excerpt

Hotwire is central to how we drive the frontend at FreeAgent, and Action Cable allows us to send Turbo Streams as users browse the site, adding a layer of richness to the user experience.