What Is SSG?
Static Site Generation
SSG builds all HTML pages at compile time rather than on each request. The result is pre-rendered, static files that can be served from a CDN — extremely fast, secure, and cheap to host.
How SSG Works
Tools like Astro, Next.js, Hugo, and Gatsby generate HTML files during the build step. When a user requests a page, the CDN serves the pre-built HTML instantly — no server processing needed. This is as fast as web delivery gets.
SSG works best for content that doesn't change per user: blogs, documentation, marketing sites, and directories. For dynamic content, you can combine SSG with client-side fetching or use incremental static regeneration (ISR) in Next.js.
Key Concepts
- Build Time — All pages are rendered during deployment — longer builds but instant serving
- CDN-Ready — Static files can be distributed globally via CDN for minimal latency
- Incremental Static Regeneration — Next.js feature that rebuilds specific pages on-demand without full rebuilds
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between SSG and SSR?
SSG renders pages once at build time and serves cached files. SSR renders pages on every request on the server. SSG is faster and cheaper; SSR handles dynamic, user-specific content.
What tools are used for SSG?
Astro, Next.js, Hugo, Gatsby, Eleventy, and Jekyll are popular SSG tools. Astro and Next.js are the most actively developed in 2026.