# What Is Astro? The Web Framework Explained > Astro is an open-source web framework for content-heavy websites that ships HTML with little or no JavaScript by default. How it works and when it fits B2B. Source: https://pentaclay.com/glossary/astro Glossary # What is Astro? Astro is an open-source web framework for building fast, content-focused websites that sends pages to the browser as HTML and adds JavaScript only to the parts of a page that need to be interactive. Also called Astro framework ## How it works Astro builds pages from components into plain HTML, either ahead of time or on the server. By default it ships no JavaScript to the browser. When a part of a page needs interactivity, such as a pricing toggle or a search box, it is loaded as an “island”: a single component that hydrates on its own while the rest of the page stays static. Islands can be written in Astro’s own syntax or in React, Vue, Svelte or other frameworks. Content can come from Markdown, JSON files or a headless CMS. Astro’s first stable version, 1.0, was released in 2022. ## Why it matters for B2B websites B2B marketing sites are mostly content: service pages, case studies, guides, documentation. Astro’s HTML-first approach makes those pages fast and fully readable by search engines and AI crawlers, with little risk of content hidden behind JavaScript. Like any coded framework, changes need developers or a connected CMS, so it fits teams that are comfortable working in code or that want full ownership of the site. ## Good fit and poor fit - Good fit: content-heavy marketing sites, docs, blogs and glossaries - Good fit: sites with hundreds of pages generated from data - Poor fit: highly interactive apps where nearly every screen is dynamic - Poor fit: teams that need a visual editor for layout changes ## Example pentaclay.com is built with Astro. Every page, including this glossary, is generated from data files into static HTML, and the sitemap is built from the same list of pages, so a new term appears in the sitemap automatically. ## How we handle it We use Astro for content-heavy sites where speed and crawlability matter most and the team is happy to edit through code or a CMS. For app-like features we use Next.js. Our [custom development](https://pentaclay.com/services/custom-development) page explains how we choose. Read next - [Custom development](https://pentaclay.com/services/custom-development) Last updated 15 November 2026 Related terms ## Terms that go with Astro - [Static site generation (SSG) Static site generation (SSG) is a way of building a website in which every page is turned into a finished HTML file ahead of time, during a build step, so the server only has to send ready-made files when someone visits.](https://pentaclay.com/glossary/static-site-generation) - [Next.js Next.js is an open-source framework, built on React and maintained by Vercel, for building websites and web applications that can render pages on the server, at build time or in the browser.](https://pentaclay.com/glossary/nextjs) - [Server-side rendering (SSR) Server-side rendering (SSR) is a way of delivering web pages in which the server builds the complete HTML for a page when it is requested, so the browser, search engines and AI crawlers receive the full content straight away.](https://pentaclay.com/glossary/server-side-rendering) - [Headless CMS A headless CMS is a content management system that stores and edits content but has no built-in website front end; it delivers the content through an API to a separately built site, app or other channel.](https://pentaclay.com/glossary/headless-cms) [All glossary terms](https://pentaclay.com/glossary) ## Questions about Astro ### Can’t find your answer? Book a call and let’s talk. [Book a call](https://cal.com/pentaclay/discovery-call) Or email us at [contact@pentaclay.com](mailto:contact@pentaclay.com) Is Astro good for SEO? Yes. Pages are delivered as HTML with little JavaScript, which makes them fast and readable by search engines and AI crawlers. You still control titles, descriptions, canonicals and schema in the page code. What is the difference between Astro and Next.js? Astro is built around content and ships no JavaScript by default. Next.js is built around React and suits app-like sites. Both can render on the server or at build time. Can I use React components in Astro? Yes. Astro supports React, Vue, Svelte, Solid and others as islands, so existing components can be reused. Where can an Astro site be hosted? Almost anywhere. A static Astro build is a folder of files that any static host can serve, and adapters support server rendering on platforms such as Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare and Node.js servers. ## Your business grew up. Your website should too If customers need a demo just to understand what you sell, your website isn’t doing its job. - We sign an NDA on request. - You own the site, the code and every account once it’s paid. - Your first call is with Erfan, the founder. **Kazi Mohammed Erfan** Founder Don’t want to fill in the form? [Book a call directly](https://cal.com/pentaclay/discovery-call) ## Not sure? Ask AI about Pentaclay ### Pentaclay, in short Updated 17 Oct 2026 Pentaclay is a B2B website design agency for AI companies that sell to enterprises. We write, design and build marketing websites in Framer, Webflow and Next.js, and stay to help after launch. Pentaclay LLC is registered in New Mexico, USA; our team works from Dhaka, Bangladesh, with calls until 12:30pm US Eastern. Founded in 2023 by Kazi Mohammed Erfan, who brings 12 years of design experience.