Getting Started with Astro

Astro has become my go-to framework for content-driven websites. Here’s why I made the switch and what I’ve learned along the way.

Why Astro?

When I set out to rebuild my personal site, I had a few requirements: fast load times, minimal JavaScript, and a great developer experience. Astro checked all the boxes.

Zero JavaScript by Default

One of Astro’s killer features is its island architecture. Components render to HTML at build time, and JavaScript is only shipped when explicitly needed. This means my portfolio loads blazingly fast.

Component Flexibility

Astro lets you use components from React, Vue, Svelte, or its own .astro format. For a mostly static site like mine, .astro components are perfect — they’re simple, fast, and require no runtime.

The Build

Setting up the project was straightforward. Tailwind CSS v4 integration is seamless, and the content collections API makes managing blog posts and project pages a breeze.

What’s Next

I’m excited to explore Astro’s server-side rendering capabilities and possibly add some interactive features using island architecture. Stay tuned for more posts about the build process.