Jamstack

Jamstack is a term used to describe a range of modern web technologies that offer a different way of building websites. The key features of Jamstack websites are that they are:

• Decoupled- the different parts of the site (e.g. content management; the "front end" that people use; and critical functionality like payments or member management) are separate pieces of software that are connected via API. This is different from traditional software where these are all in one application, meaning that if one part breaks they all break.
• Statically generated- using a relatively new technology called a static site generator, Jamstack sites are pre-rendered in a user's browser. What this means is that when someone uses the site - when they click around and interact with the site, all the information is already downloaded to the browswer. This is compared to traditional sites where everytime someone interacts with the site, it requests information from a server. This traditional "server-side" approach is slower and less secure than statically rendered Jamstack sites.
• API driven- this is a tricky one. Many sites use APIs, but with Jamstack sites APIs are a key part of the architecture and are used to connect the different components. Increasing use of APIs is a halmark of modern web technology and the "API Economy" is a term used to describe this way of doing things, where micro-services are used and seamlessly connected via API.

Our clients are finding many benefits of Jamstack web technology. Some of the key benefits are outlined below.

A key advantage of Jamstack (and headless) sites is less reliance on templates, and a greater overall design freedom. The front end (the bit people see) of the site uses Javascript and can be custom coded based on designs. This is true for traditional CMSs too, but it is a lot easier and more efficient when using a Jamstack site.

From an architectural point of view, Jamstack sites are just a lot more simple. This means that owning and managing them requires less investment of time and money.

The most obvious example is that Jamstack sites typically don't require ongoing version updates to the Content Management System, add ons, modules etc. This is something that has become a real shortcoming of more traditional CMSs like Drupal and Silverstripe.

Read the article: Lower costs of using Jamstack

Using Jamstack won't ensure that your site is secure. That said, Jamstack sites are inherently more secure. A key reason for this is that the part of the site that is "live" on the internet is a static Javascript application. It presents a much smaller target for the most common and harmful security vulnerabilities.

The services used for managing content are more user-friendly and powerful than what you’ll find in traditional CMSs.

Of course it is vitally important how audiences view and use your website. But it also really matters what the site is like to manage - to source, load and manage content, manager user permissions, and create and publish new pages.

A key feature of most Jamstack sites is the use of content blocks and pages that are designed in a modular way. This means that it is easy to create new page types by assembling content blocks that exist in other parts of your website.

Most traditional CMSs have retrofitted this functionality now, but Jamstack sites operate with this as the default and, as a result, it is really nice to use.

Jamstack sites are more futureproofed than traditional CMSs because:

• They are built using components. If one part of the website breaks, becomes obsolete, or needs a complex upgrade, it doesn't require a rebuild of the whole site. In theory Jamstack sites never need a complete rebuild.
• Jamstack sites are built to support modern SaSS services. The web is trending strongly toward adding (often core) functionality using third party services, connected via API. While traditional CMSs can often do this, it's not what they were created to do, which can result in some key shortcomings including issues around interoperability.

Owning a Jamstack site supports a more agile, iterative approach where you can update and change aspects of your site more cheaply and easily than with a traditional CMS.

The case for using Jamstack is so strong that some organisations are replacing their existing websites with a Jamstack site ("re-platforming" their site) without making significant changes to the branding or even the lay out of the site.

Why would anyone do this? Read more below!

Read article: Re-platforming websites onto Jamstack