Netflix’s Basic Streaming Architecture
Netflix Product Design: A Basic Look at Architecture, Optimization, and Accessibility

Netflix Product Design: A Basic Look at Architecture, Optimization, and Accessibility

Harsh Jha's photo
Harsh Jha
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4 min read

Netflix is a benchmark in digital streaming, known for its seamless user experience, robust architecture, and high-performance optimizations. Designing a platform that delivers high-quality video to millions of users across various devices requires a deep understanding of system architecture, data flow, optimization techniques, and accessibility.

This article explores the core design principles, functional components, and technical optimizations that make Netflix an industry leader in streaming technology.

1. General Requirements

The core objective of Netflix is to provide users with an intuitive and efficient way to search, preview, and stream movies across different devices with minimal latency.

Key Functionalities:

  • Movie Search: Users should be able to search by:

    • Actor

    • Genre

    • Movie Name

  • Short Preview: A preview mechanism should allow users to watch short trailers before committing to a full movie.

  • Seamless Playback: Playback should start instantly, adapting to the user’s internet speed without noticeable buffering.

2. Functional Requirements

Netflix must support a wide range of devices while maintaining high performance.

Device Compatibility:

  • Smart TVs

  • Tablets

  • Smartphones

  • Desktops

Adaptive Streaming:

  • Video quality must dynamically adjust based on the network bandwidth.

  • Images and promotional content must be optimized according to viewport size and internet speed.

3. System Architecture and Components

Netflix’s architecture is built on a microservices-driven approach, ensuring high availability and scalability. The key components include:

  • Frontend (Client-Side Applications)

    • Manages user interactions and renders UI components.

    • Implements efficient state management for smooth navigation.

  • Backend (Microservices Architecture)

    • Handles search queries, user profiles, and recommendations.

    • Manages API interactions for fetching movie details and streaming links.

  • Content Delivery Network (CDN)

    • Ensures faster streaming by caching content at geographically distributed edge locations.

    • Reduces latency and improves loading times.

  • Data API Layer

    • Exposes endpoints for fetching dashboard content, search results, and user preferences.

    • Handles API requests with rate-limiting and authentication.

4. Data Entities and API Design

Data Entities:

Netflix organizes its data efficiently to manage movies, episodes, and actors.

Movie Data Structure

type Movie = {
    id: string;
    previewURL: URL;
    title: string;
    tags: Tag[];
    description?: string;
    episodes?: Episode[];
    rating: number;
    cast: Actor[];
};

Episode Data Structure

type Episode = {
    id: string;
    movie_id: string;
    previewUrl: URL;
    title: string;
    url: URL[];
    tag: Tag[];
    description?: string;
};

Actor Data Structure

type Actor = {
    id: string;
    fullname: string;
    url: string;
};

API Endpoints:

Netflix relies on efficient API calls to retrieve and process user-specific content.

getDashboard(api_key, user_id): DashboardMap;
searchForMovies(api_key, user_id, query: string, tags: Tag[], pageSize: number): Movie[];

These APIs ensure efficient retrieval of content while maintaining a smooth user experience.

5. Data Storage on the Frontend

To minimize API calls and enhance performance, Netflix employs client-side caching strategies.

  • Local Storage & IndexedDB: Stores user preferences, search history, and partial content metadata.

  • Service Workers & Cache API: Enables offline viewing for downloaded movies and episodes.

  • Efficient State Management: Uses frameworks like Redux, Zustand, or MobX to manage UI state without excessive re-renders.

6. Performance Optimization Strategies

To maintain a high-performing platform, Netflix employs multiple network, JavaScript, and rendering optimizations.

Network Optimization:

  • Gzip (30-40%) → Brotli Compression (10-20%)

  • Image & Video Optimization:

    • Uses WebP over PNG for faster image loading.

    • Implements CDN-based caching for static assets.

    • Prefetching movie details based on user behavior.

  • HTTP/2 & Preload Tags:

    • Improves resource prioritization and reduces loading times.

JavaScript Performance Optimization:

  • Reduces Main Thread Workload:

    • Moves heavy computations to Web Workers.

    • Asynchronously loads non-critical JavaScript.

  • Minimizes Bundle Size:

    • Uses Tree Shaking and Lazy Loading.

    • Splits the bundle into vendor, player, dashboard, and authentication modules.

Rendering Performance Optimization:

  • Server-Side Rendering (SSR):

    • Pre-renders essential UI elements for faster initial page loads.

  • Critical Path Optimization:

    • Inlines critical JS and CSS to reduce blocking render times.

  • Efficient CSS Strategy:

    • Uses CSS placeholders for movies to avoid content shifting.

  • Animation Efficiency:

    • Ensures all animations run on the GPU (Paint & Composition layers) rather than CPU-intensive reflows.

7. Caching Strategy for a Smoother Experience

Netflix effectively caches frequently accessed data, reducing API load and enhancing responsiveness.

  • Effective Browser Caching:

    • Caches static files like dashboard.js, dashboard.css, and movie metadata.

  • Intelligent Prefetching:

    • Prefetches upcoming content based on user behavior.

8. Accessibility Considerations

Netflix prioritizes inclusive design to ensure accessibility for all users.

Key Accessibility Features:

  • Subtitles & Closed Captions:

    • Supports multiple languages and subtitle customization.

  • Color Schemes for Color Blindness:

    • Provides high-contrast themes and color adjustments.

  • Keyboard Shortcuts:

    • Enables quick navigation for searching, selecting genres, and playing content.

  • ARIA Attributes for Assistive Technologies:

    • Uses aria-live to announce input field changes.

  • Rem-Based Layouts:

    • Ensures a consistent experience across different screen resolutions.

Conclusion

Netflix’s product design is a result of careful system architecture, data management, performance optimization, and accessibility considerations. The combination of microservices, CDNs, client-side caching, and adaptive streaming ensures a seamless user experience across all devices.

By leveraging efficient API design, JavaScript optimizations, and accessibility best practices, Netflix continues to set the standard for digital streaming platforms.

Product DesignTechExplainedFrontend DevelopmentAccessibilityUXweb performanceoptimizationarchitecturestreamingnetflix