1
Jamstack is a modern web development architecture for building high-performance, secure websites. The name stands for JavaScript, APIs, and pre-rendered Markup. Instead of relying on a server to generate pages on every request, Jamstack sites are pre-built into static files and served from a global CDN, with dynamic functionality handled by JavaScript and APIs.
How is Jamstack Different from a Traditional CMS?
To understand Jamstack, it’s best to compare it to a traditional architecture like a WordPress site.
Analogy: Meal Prep vs. Cooking to Order 👨🍳
- A Traditional Website is like a restaurant kitchen that cooks your meal from scratch every time a customer orders. A user requests a page, the server queries the database, assembles the HTML, and then sends it back. This can be slow under heavy traffic.
- A Jamstack Website is like a high-end meal prep service. All the complex cooking is done ahead of time (the “build step”). The finished meals (static HTML files) are placed in refrigerators close to customers (a CDN). When you order, the meal is delivered to you instantly.
Breaking Down “JAM”
- JavaScript: Any dynamic functionality that happens in the browser is handled by JavaScript. This includes things like fetching data from an API after the page has loaded or handling user interactions.
- APIs: All server-side processes are handled by reusable APIs. Instead of a tightly-coupled backend and database, you connect to specialized third-party services, like a Headless CMS for content, Stripe for payments, or serverless functions for custom logic.
- Markup: The core of Jamstack. Your entire site is pre-rendered into static HTML files during a build process using a tool like a static site generator (e.g., Next.js, Astro, Eleventy).
The Core Benefits of Jamstack
- Performance: Serving pre-built static files from a global Content Delivery Network (CDN) is the fastest possible way to deliver a website. This results in amazing Core Web Vitals and a great user experience.
- Security: By removing the direct connection to a live database, web server, and other moving parts from the hosting infrastructure, the attack surface for hackers is dramatically reduced.
- Scalability & Lower Cost: Static files are cheap to host and can handle massive traffic spikes with ease because the CDN takes all the load. There’s no need to manage complex server infrastructure.
Step 2: Offer Next Step
The article on the Jamstack architecture is now complete. The next topic on our list is a beginner’s guide to Three.js for 3D web graphics. Shall I prepare that for you?