What is this?
Gatsby is a free, open-source framework based on React for building fast websites and web apps, mixing the control of dynamically rendered sites with the speed of static-site generation.
Gatsby is a free, open-source framework based on React for building fast websites and web apps, mixing the control of dynamically rendered sites with the speed of static-site generation.Is it strictly a static-site generator?Static generation is the default, but any page can switch to Deferred Static Generation or Server-Side Rendering instead. The result is a fully functional React app — blogs, e-commerce, dashboards.
Static generation is the default, but any page can switch to Deferred Static Generation or Server-Side Rendering instead. The result is a fully functional React app — blogs, e-commerce, dashboards.What does getting a first site running locally look like?Initialize a new project, move into its directory and start the site in develop mode, then edit src/pages/index.js — the browser updates in real time. The README clocks this at about five minutes.
Initialize a new project, move into its directory and start the site in develop mode, then edit src/pages/index.js — the browser updates in real time. The README clocks this at about five minutes.What do I need on my machine before creating a project?The repo pins Node.js 18 or newer (below 26) with npm 8+ or Yarn 1.17+. Nothing else — no database or external services — is required to start building.
The repo pins Node.js 18 or newer (below 26) with npm 8+ or Yarn 1.17+. Nothing else — no database or external services — is required to start building.Do I have to build everything with React and GraphQL?Yes — whatever the data source, sites are built with React and GraphQL, so that is the workflow you sign up for.
Yes — whatever the data source, sites are built with React and GraphQL, so that is the workflow you sign up for.Where do the sites I build actually run?Gatsby is a Node-based tool you run on your own machine; what it outputs are normal websites and web apps that open in any browser.
Gatsby is a Node-based tool you run on your own machine; what it outputs are normal websites and web apps that open in any browser.Will I need my own server to keep the finished site online?No. Gatsby sites don't require a server — you can host the whole site on a CDN, and many run entirely free on Netlify and similar services.
No. Gatsby sites don't require a server — you can host the whole site on a CDN, and many run entirely free on Netlify and similar services.Can I use Gatsby in commercial projects?Nothing stops you: the code is under the MIT License, so commercial use is fine.
Nothing stops you: the code is under the MIT License, so commercial use is fine.Where can my content come from?Anywhere — Markdown files, headless CMSs like Contentful or WordPress, or a REST or GraphQL API. Source plugins load it all into one uniform GraphQL data layer to develop against.
Anywhere — Markdown files, headless CMSs like Contentful or WordPress, or a REST or GraphQL API. Source plugins load it all into one uniform GraphQL data layer to develop against.What performance work does it do without me asking?Code splitting, image optimization, inlining critical styles, lazy-loading and prefetching are automated, so sites ace performance audits by default with no manual tuning.
Code splitting, image optimization, inlining critical styles, lazy-loading and prefetching are automated, so sites ace performance audits by default with no manual tuning.How steep is the learning curve?Gentle by design: the in-depth official tutorial starts with zero assumptions about your level of ability and walks through every step, and the docs add how-to, reference and conceptual guides.
Gentle by design: the in-depth official tutorial starts with zero assumptions about your level of ability and walks through every step, and the docs add how-to, reference and conceptual guides.What are similar projects?next.js, astro, core, react-static, docusaurus, graphql, nuxt, tailwind-nextjs-starter-blog
next.js, astro, core, react-static, docusaurus, graphql, nuxt, tailwind-nextjs-starter-blogWhich topics is it in?headless-cms, netlify, ssg, jamstack, website, blog, static-site-generator, ssr, graphql, compiler, developers, web-app
headless-cms, netlify, ssg, jamstack, website, blog, static-site-generator, ssr, graphql, compiler, developers, web-app