Static Site Generator (SSG) is a tool that automatically converts content, templates, and configurations into static web pages. 1. It reads content files such as Markdown, 2. Apply the template engine to render the page structure, 3. Finally generates deployable HTML, CSS and JS files. Suitable for content creators, developers and small teams to quickly build blogs, documents or official websites, with the advantages of fast speed, good security, and simple deployment. Common tools include Jekyll, Hugo, Gatsby and Eleventy. Beginners recommend starting with tools that are active in the community and well-documented, and gradually mastering core concepts such as templates, layouts and construction processes.

Simply put, Static Site Generator (SSG) is a tool that can help you automatically "assemble" content into static web pages. You provide content (such as Markdown files), templates, and configuration, and it outputs a bunch of HTML, CSS, and JS files that can be deployed directly on any static hosting service, such as GitHub Pages, Netlify, or Vercel.

No database is required and server-side processing is dependent on server-side processing. This is the key reason why static websites are fast, safe and simple to deploy.

Why do you use SSG?

Nowadays, many people choose SSG when writing blogs, document websites or portfolios. Because it solves several common problems:

• Don't want to write a complicated CMS
• Want to quickly load the page
• Don't want to worry about server operation and maintenance
• I hope the content structure is clear and easy to manage

These are common SSG tools like Jekyll, Hugo, Gatsby, and Eleventy, and each has its own characteristics, but the core logic is similar: enter content templates → output static web pages.

How does SSG work?

SSG's workflow is actually quite intuitive and can be understood as an "automated web packager". It is roughly divided into three steps:

• Read content : such as Markdown documents, YAML configurations, pictures and other resources
• Apply templates : Use template engines like Liquid, Nunjucks, React to render page structure
• Generate static files : Finally output a dist/ or public/ folder that can be uploaded directly to the CDN or static host

For example: if you write a blog in .md format locally, then run npm run build , the tool will automatically generate the corresponding HTML page and put it in the specified directory.

Who is suitable for use?

If you are a user of the following categories, SSG may be suitable for you:

• ? Content creators who write technical blogs and personal websites
• ??? The developer wants to build a document site or project display page
• ??? Small teams need to quickly launch lightweight official websites or activity pages
• ?? People who like version control and manage content with Git

However, if you need user login, comment system, dynamic data display and other functions, you may have to consider combining Headless CMS or switching to SSR (server-side rendering) solutions.

How to get started with beginners?

When you first start learning, don’t worry too much about which tool to choose. Just choose an active community and complete documentation first. for example:

• Eleventy is easy to get started, and the plug-ins are flexible
• Hugo is built quickly and is suitable for writing documents
• Gatsby is powerful, but the learning curve is slightly steep
• Jekyll is a classic old-fashioned, very convenient with GitHub Pages

It is recommended to start with the official documentation and follow the tutorial to create your first site step by step. The key is to figure out several core concepts: templates, layouts, data sources, and construction processes.

Basically that's it. It is not complicated, but it is easy to ignore details, such as path settings and data binding methods, which may get stuck at the beginning. Try it a few more times and you will find that SSG is actually a very practical and efficient tool.

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