Getting Started with Astro: A Modern Static Site Generator

Introduction

Astro has been making waves in the web development community as a fresh take on static site generation. Unlike traditional frameworks that ship everything as JavaScript, Astro takes a different approach - it ships zero JavaScript by default and only includes what you actually need.

What Makes Astro Special?

🚀 Zero JavaScript by Default

Astro generates static HTML by default, resulting in incredibly fast loading times. JavaScript is only added when you specifically need it for interactivity.

🔧 Bring Your Own Framework

One of Astro’s most compelling features is its ability to work with multiple frameworks in the same project. You can use React, Vue, Svelte, or any other framework component within your Astro project.

📄 Content-First Architecture

Astro is designed with content in mind. It provides excellent support for Markdown, MDX, and content collections, making it perfect for blogs, documentation sites, and portfolios.

Getting Started

Installation

npm create astro@latest

Project Structure

src/
├── components/
├── content/
├── layouts/
├── pages/
└── styles/

Creating Your First Component

---
// Component script (runs at build time)
const greeting = "Hello, Astro!";
---

<div class="greeting">
  <h1>{greeting}</h1>
  <p>Welcome to the future of web development!</p>
</div>

<style>
.greeting {
  background: linear-gradient(45deg, #ff6b6b, #4ecdc4);
  padding: 2rem;
  border-radius: 8px;
  color: white;
  text-align: center;
}
</style>

Key Features

Content Collections

Astro’s content collections provide a powerful way to organize and validate your content:

import { defineCollection, z } from 'astro:content';

const blogCollection = defineCollection({
  type: 'content',
  schema: z.object({
    title: z.string(),
    publishDate: z.date(),
    tags: z.array(z.string()),
  }),
});

export const collections = {
  blog: blogCollection,
};

Islands Architecture

Astro uses an “islands” architecture where interactive components are isolated and only hydrated when needed:

---
import InteractiveComponent from '../components/InteractiveComponent.jsx';
---

<div>
  <h1>Static content</h1>
  <InteractiveComponent client:load />
</div>

Performance Benefits

• Faster Loading: No unnecessary JavaScript means faster initial page loads
• Better SEO: Static HTML is easily crawlable by search engines
• Lower Bandwidth: Smaller bundle sizes reduce data usage
• Improved Core Web Vitals: Better performance metrics out of the box

Best Use Cases

Astro excels in:

• Personal blogs and portfolios
• Marketing websites
• Documentation sites
• E-commerce product pages
• News and magazine sites

Conclusion

Astro represents a paradigm shift in how we think about web development. By defaulting to static HTML and only adding JavaScript when needed, it delivers exceptional performance while maintaining developer experience. Whether you’re building a personal blog or a complex marketing site, Astro provides the tools you need to create fast, modern web experiences.

Ready to get started? Check out the official Astro documentation and join the growing community of developers who are embracing this innovative approach to web development.