JAMstack

JAMstack is a modern web development architecture based on three key components:

• JavaScript: Handles dynamic functionality.
• APIs: Third-party or custom APIs for server-side operations.
• Markup: Prebuilt HTML files served from a CDN. JAMstack decouples the frontend from the backend, favoring static site generation and client-side rendering powered by APIs.

Key Principles

• Pre-rendering: Sites are generated at build time as static assets.
• Decoupling: Frontend and backend are separated. Content and services are provided via APIs.
• CDN-first: Assets and pages are served globally via CDNs for speed and availability.

Core Technologies

Component	Tools/Examples
JavaScript	React, Vue, Svelte, Alpine.js
APIs	REST, GraphQL, serverless functions (e.g., AWS Lambda, Netlify Functions)
Markup	Markdown, HTML, generated via SSGs like Gatsby, Hugo, Next.js (SSG mode)

Advantages

Benefit	Description
Performance	Static sites load faster and can be cached aggressively.
Security	No runtime server or database reduces attack surface.
Scalability	Easy to scale via CDN without complex infrastructure.
Developer experience	Modern tools, version control integration, fast iteration.
Flexibility	Choose your stack for frontend, backend, and content sources.

Limitations

Limitation	Notes
Build time	Large sites can take time to rebuild.
Complex workflows	Integrating APIs, auth, and dynamic content can require more architecture.
Content preview	Previewing unpublished content may require custom solutions.

Ideal Use Cases

• Marketing and product websites
• Documentation portals
• Developer blogs and portfolios
• E-commerce frontends (integrated via APIs)
• Dashboards with static + dynamic hybrid content