yes it can be optional when using queryParams. So you have one route localhost:3000/board and when you need the teamname with it you go to localhost:3000/board?teamName=someName

Not quite the url structure I want. Seems like this is currently not possible without duplicating files

Thanks for your help

Maybe I read your issue wrong. I thought the url should be in the format of localhost:3000/board?

I want the url to be either localhost:3000/board

So you would like a route structure like /user/[username]/[view] where the [view] string is treated as state and not associated with a page.tsx or layout.tsx? searchParams achieves the same thing, but is aesthetically different. One option is to create a layout at [username] and a page at [view] but this is not a good solution in many cases.

I don't think doing what you want is possible in Next.js, but I am curious if anyone knows otherwise.

Additionally, you could use a page at /board that redirects to a default team at /[team]/board... (I imagine the current user's team or something)

What's so bad about using a searchParams? Among other things, they are also made for this

I believe wanting a url structure like this is primarily for aesthetics and ease-of-construction. Search params are exactly for this.

Also, when one uses a URL structure like this, they are deliberately choosing one param as having the highest importance and should become a route segment. You may still use search params in this case, like /user/$username/posts?sortedBy=age or /user/$username/collections?filter=abcxyz&search=helloworld which semantically I feel is appealing because it is clear which param is the most important: the route segment.

Well.. we don't know when OP is not talking with us

Ok, so I forgot catch-all segments exist & can be used but only for subsequence segments.

https://nextjs.org/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/dynamic-routes#catch-all-segments

yea.. all these things exists. However if OP is not talking to us he won't get a suitable solution

Hi sorry. Academics take away time. It is true its purely for aesthetics. But its also not a viable solution. I went with having a username instead for the user and team name for team and keeping the route structure the same for both

So the structure will always be /[username or team]/board