Overview

Gatsby is primarily known as a Static Site Generator (SSG). It pulls data from any source (CMSs, Markdown, APIs) using GraphQL and generates optimized static files that can be deployed to a CDN.

Key Features

  • Data Layer: A unified way to query data from multiple sources using GraphQL.
  • Plugin System: A massive library of plugins for everything from image optimization to SEO.
  • Performance: Automatically optimizes images, preloads links, and minifies code.
  • Static Hosting: Can be hosted cheaply and securely on any static hosting provider.

Use Cases

Gatsby is ideal for content-heavy sites like blogs, documentation, and marketing websites where performance and SEO are critical.

Related Terms