Static Site Generator

Definition

A static site generator (SSG) is a tool that generates a full static HTML website based on raw data and a set of templates. Essentially, an SSG automates the task of coding individual HTML pages and gets those pages ready to serve to users ahead of time.

Why It Matters

Static sites are extremely fast, secure, and cheap to host because they are just simple HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files that can be served from a CDN. SSGs have become very popular for blogs, documentation sites, and marketing websites.

Contextual Example

A developer writes their blog posts in Markdown files. They use a static site generator like Jekyll, Hugo, or Next.js. The SSG takes the Markdown files, applies them to an HTML template, and generates a complete, ready-to-upload website.

Common Misunderstandings

• "Static" does not mean "not interactive." A static site can still have plenty of client-side JavaScript to create rich, interactive experiences. It just means the HTML itself is not generated on a server for each request.
• SSGs are a key part of the Jamstack architecture.