Glossary
What is 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.
Also called SSG, static rendering, pre-rendering
How it works
A static site generator takes templates and content, such as Markdown, JSON files or entries from a CMS, and runs once to produce a folder of HTML, CSS and image files. Those files are uploaded to a host or a content delivery network (CDN), which serves them from locations close to each visitor.
When content changes, the site is rebuilt and redeployed. Frameworks such as Astro, Next.js, Hugo and Eleventy can all generate static pages; some also refresh individual pages after the build, which Next.js calls incremental static regeneration.
Why it matters for B2B websites
Most B2B marketing pages are the same for every visitor: services, case studies, pricing explanations, guides. Building them once and serving files is the fastest and most reliable way to deliver them. There is no database to slow down or break under traffic, and fewer moving parts to attack.
Static pages also arrive as complete HTML, so search engines and AI crawlers that do not run JavaScript can read the whole page.
Strengths and limits
- Fast first load, because files come straight from a CDN
- Low hosting cost and few security risks
- Fully readable by every crawler
- Content changes need a rebuild, which can take minutes on large sites
- Anything personal to a visitor, such as a logged-in dashboard, needs server or browser rendering
Example
pentaclay.com is built with Astro, and its pages, including this glossary, are generated as static HTML from data files. Interactive parts like forms call a small server function, while the pages themselves stay static.
How we handle it
On coded projects we generate static pages wherever content is the same for every visitor and render on the server only where it has to change per request. Visual builders such as Framer and Webflow also publish pre-rendered pages, so the same benefit applies there. See custom development.
Last updated 15 November 2026
