Static Site Generator
A Static Site Generator (SSG) is a tool that builds static websites from source files, typically using templates and content (like Markdown or JSON) to generate HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files. It pre-renders pages at build time, resulting in fast, secure, and easily deployable websites that can be served from a CDN without server-side processing. This approach is commonly used for blogs, documentation sites, portfolios, and marketing pages.
Developers should use Static Site Generators when building content-focused websites that require high performance, security, and low maintenance, as they eliminate server-side vulnerabilities and reduce hosting costs. They are ideal for projects with infrequent content updates, such as blogs or documentation, where the speed of static files outweighs the need for dynamic server rendering. Tools like Jekyll, Hugo, or Next.js (in static export mode) enable efficient workflows with version control and modern development practices.