Getting Started with Astro: A Beginner’s Guide

Astro is revolutionizing how we build websites by focusing on performance and simplicity. In this guide, we’ll explore what makes Astro special and how to get started.

What is Astro?

Astro is a static site generator that ships zero JavaScript by default. It allows you to use your favorite JavaScript frameworks (React, Vue, Svelte) while generating static HTML for optimal performance.

Key Features

🚀 Performance First

• Ships zero JavaScript by default
• Partial hydration for interactive components
• Optimized build output

🧩 Component Islands

• Use multiple frameworks in the same project
• Each component is an “island” that can be hydrated independently
• Mix and match React, Vue, Svelte, and more

📝 Content Collections

• Type-safe content management
• Markdown and MDX support
• Automatic TypeScript types generation

Getting Started

# Create a new Astro project
npm create astro@latest

# Navigate to your project
cd my-astro-site

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Start the development server
npm run dev

Project Structure

my-astro-site/
├── src/
│   ├── components/
│   ├── layouts/
│   ├── pages/
│   └── content/
├── public/
└── astro.config.mjs

Your First Component

Create a simple component in src/components/:

---
export interface Props {
  title: string;
  description: string;
}

const { title, description } = Astro.props;
---

<div class="card">
  <h2>{title}</h2>
  <p>{description}</p>
</div>

<style>
  .card {
    padding: 1rem;
    border: 1px solid #ccc;
    border-radius: 8px;
  }
</style>

Next Steps

Once you have Astro set up, explore:

1. Content Collections for managing blog posts
2. Integrations for adding Tailwind, React, or other tools
3. Deployment options like Netlify, Vercel, or GitHub Pages

Astro’s approach to web development prioritizes performance without sacrificing developer experience. Give it a try for your next project!