I was building a dashboard that needed to update in real-time for a dozen users. The initial page load had to be lightning fast, but the live charts and notifications were just as important. I kept hitting a wall: traditional frameworks made the real-time part easy but bogged down the initial experience. Then I found a way to combine two tools that changed everything. Let me show you how to build applications that are both instantly interactive and seamlessly collaborative.
Think about the last time you waited for a webpage to become usable. Now, imagine if that wait simply didn’t exist. That’s the promise of Qwik. It’s a framework built on a different idea. Instead of sending a large bundle of JavaScript for the browser to process before anything works, Qwik sends the page in a ready state. The secret is in how it pauses and resumes execution. The server does the initial work, serializes the application’s exact state, and sends it over. The browser picks up exactly where the server left off, but only for the parts you actually click on. This means interactivity is immediate.
But what happens when you need that instant page to also be a live, shared space? This is where Partykit enters the picture. It removes the heavy lifting from real-time features. Partykit provides a straightforward platform to manage live connections between users. It handles the messy parts like WebSocket connections, reconnecting if a network drops, and keeping everyone’s view in sync. It runs on Cloudflare’s global network, so data moves quickly no matter where your users are.
So, how do we make these two work together? The goal is to have a Qwik component that loads instantly and can also connect to a shared room managed by Partykit. The key is to manage the WebSocket connection carefully within Qwik’s lifecycle. We don’t want to connect until the component is actually visible and interactive on the client’s screen.
Let’s create a simple collaborative list. First, we set up a Partykit server, which they call a “party”. This server will hold the shared state and broadcast updates.
// partykit/server.ts
export default class ListParty {
constructor(readonly room: Party.Room) {}
items: string[] = [];
onConnect(conn: Party.Connection) {
// Send current list to new user
conn.send(JSON.stringify({ type: "sync", items: this.items }));
}
onMessage(message: string, sender: Party.Connection) {
const msg = JSON.parse(message);
if (msg.type === "add") {
this.items.push(msg.item);
// Broadcast updated list to everyone in the room
this.room.broadcast(JSON.stringify({ type: "update", items: this.items }));
}
}
}Now, on the Qwik side, we need a component that can talk to this party. We use Qwik’s useVisibleTask$ to set up the connection only when the component is in the viewport. We store the connection and the list in a reactive signal.
// qwik/components/collab-list.tsx
import { component$, useSignal, useVisibleTask$ } from "@builder.io/qwik";
export const CollabList = component$(() => {
const items = useSignal<string[]>([]);
const newItem = useSignal("");
let socket: WebSocket;
useVisibleTask$(() => {
// Connect to the Partykit room
socket = new WebSocket("wss://your-app.partykit.dev/party/list-room");
socket.onmessage = (event) => {
const data = JSON.parse(event.data);
if (data.type === "sync" || data.type === "update") {
items.value = data.items; // Reactively update the list
}
};
return () => {
socket.close(); // Clean up on component unmount
};
});
const addItem = $(() => {
if (newItem.value.trim()) {
socket.send(JSON.stringify({ type: "add", item: newItem.value.trim() }));
newItem.value = "";
}
});
return (
<div>
<ul>
{items.value.map((item, idx) => (
<li key={idx}>{item}</li>
))}
</ul>
<input bind:value={newItem} />
<button onClick$={addItem}>Add Item</button>
</div>
);
});See what happened there? The component loads and is immediately interactive. The connection to the live room is established only when needed. If you navigate away, Qwik can pause this component, and the connection cleans itself up. When you come back, it resumes and reconnects. This pattern keeps your application lightweight.
Where does this combination truly excel? Consider a live dashboard for a operations team. The page loads in a blink, showing current metrics. Then, using Partykit, a new alert appears on everyone’s screen simultaneously without a single page refresh. Or, picture a design tool where multiple users can edit a canvas. The tool opens instantly, and cursor movements are shared in real-time without any laggy interface.
The main point to remember is structure. Keep your Partykit logic focused on state synchronization and messaging. Let Qwik manage the presentation and user interactions. This separation keeps your code clear and maintainable. Your Partykit server becomes the single source of truth for shared state, and each Qwik component is a live view into that state.
Have you ever tried to add a simple chat widget to a site, only to watch the performance score plummet? This approach solves that. The rest of your page remains fast, and the real-time feature is just another independent, resumable component.
Getting started is straightforward. Initialize a Qwik project and a Partykit project in the same repository. Link them by having your Qwik components connect to your Partykit server’s WebSocket endpoint. Deploy Partykit to get your live endpoint, and then deploy your Qwik application. They work independently but together create a powerful experience.
The result is an application that feels like magic. It’s there, working, the moment the link is clicked. And it’s alive, reacting and updating in step with other users. It solves the classic dilemma of choosing between performance and rich interactivity. You don’t have to choose anymore.
This method has fundamentally changed how I think about building for the web. The tools exist today to create experiences that are both incredibly fast and deeply collaborative. It opens up new possibilities for what we can build. Try it for your next project that needs a live element. Start with a simple shared list or a live counter. You might be surprised by how straightforward it is to bring your ideas to life.
If you’ve built something similar or have questions about specific use cases, I’d love to hear about it. Share your thoughts in the comments below. If this guide helped you see the potential of combining instant load with real-time features, please consider liking and sharing it with other developers. Let’s build a faster, more connected web together.
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