nextjs app loading.tsx page not working

a problem i keep facing in my nextjs projects so i've decided to write a small post about it with solutions i've found online for nextjs loading entity page.

If the loading.tsx page in your Next.js app is not working as expected, there could be a few common reasons for this issue, especially if you’re using the app directory approach in Next.js 13 or above. Here are some troubleshooting steps and key points to consider:

1. Ensure Correct Placement of loading.tsx
In Next.js 13+, loading.tsx is used for route-level loading and should be placed within a specific route folder in the app directory.
For example, if you have a route at app/dashboard/page.tsx, the loading component for this route should be located at app/dashboard/loading.tsx.
Make sure loading.tsx is in the correct directory and named correctly, as the framework relies on this structure to locate and apply the loading component automatically.

2. Understanding When loading.tsx is Triggered
The loading.tsx page is automatically shown when data fetching or suspense boundaries are triggered for a specific route.
If your page doesn’t involve any data fetching that causes suspense, loading.tsx won’t automatically display. Ensure that your page or components use React's Suspense or have async data fetching functions (like fetch) to trigger the loading screen.

3. Check Data Fetching in Server Components
If you're using Server Components in Next.js, be aware that loading.tsx will be triggered only when there’s a delay in loading data.
If your data loads almost instantly, the loading page might not appear. You can simulate delays in data fetching to test if the loading.tsx appears correctly.

4. Component-Level Suspense Boundaries
In addition to route-level loading with loading.tsx, you can use boundaries for specific components within your page.
Wrapping components in Suspense with a fallback loading indicator can provide additional control over where and when loading states appear. Example:

import { Suspense } from 'react';
import MyComponent from './MyComponent';

export default function Page() {
  return (
    <Suspense fallback={<Loading />}>
      <MyComponent />
    </Suspense>
  );
}

5. Debugging and Testing
Try adding a deliberate delay in your data fetching function to ensure loading.tsx is triggered, or use the Network tab in the browser’s Developer Tools to simulate slower network conditions.
Ensure that there are no errors in loading.tsx itself. If this component has issues, such as syntax errors, it won’t render properly.

Example of Correct Structure
Here's how the directory and files might look if you want a loading page for a dashboard route:

If the problem persists after verifying these steps, updating your Next.js version or clearing any cached files and restarting the development server may also help.