By name: gatsby description: Gatsby React static site generator with GraphQL. Use for static sites.
Gatsby
Gatsby v5 focuses on Valhalla Content Hub and improved build speeds (Slice API). While Next.js has overtaken it, Gatsby remains strong for complex CMS-driven sites.
When to Use
- Data Integration: You have content in Contentful, Shopify, and WordPress and need to merge it.
- Static Sites: Extremely optimized static output (Image optimization).
- Plugin Ecosystem: Thousands of "drops-in" plugins.
Core Concepts
GraphQL Data Layer
Gatsby pulls all data into a local GraphQL schema.
Source Plugins
gatsby-source-filesystem, gatsby-source-contentful.
React Hydration
Generated HTML rehydrates into a SPA.
Best Practices (2025)
Do:
- Use Slice API: Updating a navbar shouldn't rebuild 10,000 pages.
- Use Gatsby Image: Unmatched image optimization features.
- Use Adapters: For zero-config deployment to Netlify/Vercel.
Don't:
- Don't use for Dynamic Apps: Use Next.js or Remix for dashboard-style apps.