What is Jamstack
Jamstack is a modern software architecture for web development. It was originally called "JAMstack", where "JAM" stood for JavaScript, API & Markup. In practice, developers use other technologies as well, such as content delivery networks (CDNs), headless CMS, JavaScript libraries like Vue or React, and JavaScript frameworks like Nuxt and Next.
From a technical perspective, this architecture decouples the front-end and back-end of web projects. The goal here is to shift as many tasks as possible to the browser. This results in less server requests and overall better performance and faster loading times.
What are the advantages of Jamstack?
Speed
Since fewer server connections are often needed after the first page load, page loading is faster. In addition, developers can focus on optimizing the front-end code - resulting in additional time benefits.
Scaling
Due to the low dependency on server and database accesses, the website does not reach its performance limitations. Additionally, if a high-performance CDN is used to distribute the web pages, scaling a website requires less resources.
Security
Traditional websites are vulnerable to cyber attacks on the server, such as a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, which leads to server overload and website inaccessibility. Since Jamstack decouples the frontend from the backend, there is less risk of this type of attack.
Developer friendliness
Developers don't have to rely on backends that may be outdated. Instead, they can focus on coding the frontend using appropriate technologies for this purpose.
Focus on content
Editors and marketers focus more on content with the Jamstack architecture. A headless CMS is the right tool for this because it supports the Jamstack architecture.
Due to the fast loading time and high security, Jamstack facilitates the ranking of a website in the Google index, as these aspects are also evaluated by Google. In addition, Jamstack is the right technology for omnichannel concepts because of the separation of content and code.
Third-party APIs
Jamstack websites are optimized for the use of APIs, which includes third-party services. These are, for example, accesses to the services of payment providers, store systems such as Shopify, applications for PIM (Product Information Management) or recruiting software - ultimately, anything that offers its own API. This makes it easy for developers to integrate these services into a website or app.
Are there any downsides to Jamstack?
Each Jamstack project is divided into several parts, implemented by different tools and services. Creating and managing a website with Jamstack architecture is more complex for less technical users. Therefore, unlike WordPress or Webflow, for example, Jamstack is suitable only to a limited extent for private individuals, associations or small businesses.
Conclusion: Jamstack as a toolbox for modern websites
The architecture of Jamstack offers companies many advantages. They can add extensions very easily and are very flexible and future-proof due to the easy connection to third-party APIs (E-Commerce, payment systems, Salesforce). Developers can use tools and development environments of their choice. The content here is just another API, this time from a headless CMS. This allows companies to use Jamstack as a toolbox for powerful websites.
