Back to Home

Getting Started with Astro.js: A Complete Guide

•
2 min read
Astro JavaScript Performance

Learn how to build lightning-fast websites with Astro.js. This comprehensive guide covers everything from setup to deployment, including best practices for performance optimization.

Getting Started with Astro.js: A Complete Guide

Astro.js is a modern static site generator that delivers lightning-fast websites with minimal JavaScript. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to get started.

What is Astro.js?

Astro is a web framework designed for building fast, content-focused websites. It allows you to use your favorite UI components from React, Vue, Svelte, or even plain HTML and CSS.

Key Features

  • Zero JavaScript by default: Astro ships zero JavaScript to the browser by default
  • Component islands: Interactive components only load when needed
  • Multiple frameworks: Use React, Vue, Svelte, and more in the same project
  • Built-in optimizations: Automatic image optimization, CSS bundling, and more

Installation

Getting started with Astro is straightforward:

npm create astro@latest
cd my-astro-site
npm install
npm run dev

Creating Your First Page

Create a new page in the src/pages directory:

---
// src/pages/index.astro
const title = "My Astro Site";
---

<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />
    <title>{title}</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>{title}</h1>
    <p>Welcome to my Astro site!</p>
  </body>
</html>

Component Islands Architecture

One of Astro’s most powerful features is its component islands architecture. You can mix static content with interactive components:

---
import Counter from '../components/Counter.jsx';
---

<html>
  <body>
    <h1>Static Content</h1>
    <p>This content is rendered at build time.</p>
    
    <!-- This component will be hydrated on the client -->
    <Counter client:load />
  </body>
</html>

Performance Benefits

Astro’s approach to performance includes:

  • Partial hydration: Only interactive components are sent to the browser
  • Zero runtime overhead: No framework runtime in production
  • Automatic optimizations: Image compression, CSS minification, and more
  • Fast builds: Efficient bundling and compilation

Best Practices

  1. Use static content when possible: Let Astro handle rendering at build time
  2. Lazy load interactive components: Use client directives like client:visible
  3. Optimize images: Use Astro’s built-in image optimization
  4. Leverage caching: Take advantage of static generation for better performance

Conclusion

Astro.js represents a new approach to building websites that prioritizes performance without sacrificing developer experience. By shipping minimal JavaScript and leveraging static generation, Astro helps you build faster, more efficient websites.

Ready to get started? Check out the official Astro documentation for more detailed guides and tutorials.