In my journey as a web app engineer, I have come to understand the importance of choosing the right architecture for successfully meeting my project requirements and ensuring greater user/client satisfaction. Against the limitations of traditional methods, I discovered JAMstack and its ability to revolutionize how websites are built and maintained.

Be it dynamic forms adapted to user inputs, relevant and updated content, or a dependable CMS to manage complexity without compromising on speed and security, JAMstack seemed to answer it all.

JAMstack Architecture

Jamstack stands for the web development architectural approach that emphasizes on decoupling of the front-end and backend, content pre-rendering (at least for most of the content), use of CDNs, APIs and serverless functions for content enhancement.

With Jamstack websites, the tangible assets are pre-rendered as static files (like content from headless CMS or headless commerce) and deployed on CDN. At the same time, the dynamic side of things is handled with API calls at run time (dynamic content like forms, search, or authentication).

As such, this approach offered a way to create blazing fast, secure and easily scalable websites.

JAMstack vs. Traditional Workflow

The traditional monolithic workflow is a method of building web applications that relies on a single codebase, which includes the frontend, backend, and database layers. In this approach, all the components of the application are tightly coupled, and changes to one component can impact the others. The codebase is deployed as a single unit to the server, and any updates or changes require redeploying the entire application.

Let us take a look at how JAMstack works in comparison to traditional monolithic workflows.

Performance and Scalability

JAMstack sites comprise static files. These files are pre-built, eliminating the need to generate content on-the-fly with every request, and leading to rapid load times.

Static files are easily distributed and served via Content Delivery Networks (CDNs). CDNs have servers distributed globally, ensuring that the content is delivered from a server nearest to the user, further enhancing website performance.

Since content is delivered via CDNs, scaling becomes more about how the CDN handles the increase in traffic rather than scaling individual servers, ensuring automatic scaling without infrastructure headaches.

Flexibility and Security

JAMstack relies heavily on APIs for dynamic functionality, thus allowing for a mix and match of different services based on specific needs.

Unlike monolithic CMS systems, where one might be tied to a specific technology stack, JAMstack permits the combination of any frontend framework with any backend service.

With fewer traditional server-side components, there are reduced points of entry for potential attacks.

The decoupling of backend (APIs and services) from the front-end presentation layer ensures that even if one component gets compromised, the entire system is not necessarily vulnerable.

Developer Experience and Reliability

Separating the front-end from the backend permits developers to focus on their specialties. Front-end developers can focus on the user interface, while backend developers can concentrate on APIs and data structures.

JAMstack advocates for the utilization of modern build tools, static site generators, and headless CMSs, refining the developer workflow.Once built, static files remain constant unless rebuilt. This immutability ensures that once a site is tested and deployed, it remains consistent until intentional changes are made.

Cost Effectiveness

Serving static files is often more economical than traditional dynamic server responses.

With a minimized backend infrastructure to manage (such as databases or server-rendering processes), both operational and developmental costs can be minimized.

SEO Friendliness

Search index crawlers find it simpler to index content as it is pre-rendered on JAMstack sites. This results in significant improvements of search engine rankings.

The Combined Potential of JAMstack: A Website in React, CMS with Strapi, Using GraphQL

The search for a comprehensive solution led me to JAMstack. React, the frontend framework I’d come to rely on, found its natural home in the JAMstack architecture. Its component-based structure offered the flexibility I needed to create interactive and responsive user interfaces.

With my dynamic content requirements, Strapi emerged as the CMS of choice. Its intuitive content modeling allowed me to define data structures tailored to my project, from dynamic forms to rich multimedia content. The REST API capabilities seamlessly connected my front end to the back end, making content management a breeze.

But it was GraphQL that truly elevated my projects. By using GraphQL’s query language, I could request exactly the data I needed from the backend, eliminating over-fetching and reducing the number of requests. This optimization resulted in lightning-fast data retrieval, enhancing the overall user experience.

Real-time Usage with Strapi

Strapi served as the perfect robust CMS that was needed to enhance the true potential of JAMstack. Its flexible content modeling and REST API capabilities were the perfect fit for my projects, providing for effortless content management and delivering it to my front end through APIs.

Efficient Data Fetching with GraphQL

GraphQL efficiently fetches the data you need and minimizes the need for over-fetching. Besides, it also provides greater flexibility and optimization when compared to REST APIs, thereby boosting performance and ultimate project outcome.

Smooth Development with React

React is an obvious choice for choosing a front-end network because of its component-based architecture and virtual DOM. This not only provides for a smooth development process but also enables the creation of consistent user interfaces across all projects.

Streamlined Development with JAMstack

The major advantage of the JAMstack architecture is the separation of concerns. The clear division between frontend, backend, and APIs streamlines the development process. Besides, it allows you to iterate on the front end without worrying about backend changes, and vice versa. This separation enables faster development cycles, increased code maintenance, and smoother collaboration within the team.

Scalability and Performance: JAMstack’s Superpowers

JAMstack’s architecture inherently promotes scalability and performance. With the decoupling of the front and back end, my websites could handle high-traffic loads without any major difficulty.

Leveraging CDNs for static assets ensures lightning-fast content delivery to users around the world. The reduced server-side processing results in a leaner and more efficient stack, translating to a superior user experience.

Dynamic Functionality with Serverless

While JAMstack has its roots in serving static content, it doesn’t shy away from dynamic functionality. Serverless functions enhance dynamic tasks involving handling of form submissions or integrating third-party services and additionally add the interactive element to websites without compromising on performance.

Exploring JAMstack Further

The JAMstack ecosystem is dynamic and constantly evolving, with new tools and services emerging to address previously perceived limitations. From improved handling of dynamic content to more efficient build processes, the future of JAMstack promises even greater innovation and value for web developers.

As such, in the dynamic world of web development, JAMstack and its transformative powers redefine the approach towards every project.

About the author

Yogadurai is a Web App Engineer at Siam Computing with over 5 years of experience in crafting dynamic web applications. Specializing in the Laravel and NodeJS domains, he is passionate about solving complex problems using evolving technologies. His expertise lies in simplifying problems into manageable components to ensure the smooth running of digital gears.