Glossary term
Static Site Generator
A static site generator is a tool that builds an entire website into pre-rendered HTML files at build time — eliminating the server-side database query on every page request and producing a fast, cacheable, low-attack-surface site. Common SSGs include Next.js (static export), Astro, Hugo, Eleventy, and Jekyll.
A static site generator is a tool that builds an entire website into pre-rendered HTML files at build time — eliminating the server-side database query on every page request and producing a fast, cacheable, low-attack-surface site. Common SSGs include Next.js (static export), Astro, Hugo, Eleventy, and Jekyll.
How SSGs fit with WordPress
Many modern WordPress builds combine WordPress as a headless CMS with an SSG-powered front-end. Editors keep the familiar WordPress workflow; the public site rebuilds (incrementally or on a schedule) to flat HTML pushed to a CDN.
When SSGs are a strong fit
- Sites where content changes daily but not every minute.
- Performance budgets that require sub-second time-to-first-byte globally.
- Strict security postures — fewer moving parts at the edge means a smaller attack surface.
- Multilingual or multi-channel publishing where the same content has to go to a CDN, a mobile app, and partner integrations.
Trade-offs
- Editorial preview needs explicit work — it isn’t automatic the way WordPress’s preview is.
- Forms, search, and any per-user feature have to be implemented as separate services.
- Build time grows with site size; incremental builds become important above a few thousand pages.