# Static site generation

Category: [Rendering & JavaScript](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/rendering-javascript/) › [Rendering methods](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/rendering-javascript/rendering-methods/) · Also known as: SSG, static site generator, static rendering

**Static site generation (SSG)** means a site's HTML files are created once when the site is built, not when a visitor requests a page. A tool called a static site generator takes templates and content, such as Markdown files, and writes one HTML file per URL. MDN describes the result as a site with no server-side logic, so every visitor gets the same content for a URL.

## How does SSG work?

During the build, the code runs once per page and saves the output. Next.js, for example, creates an HTML file for each route when `next build` runs, and the result can be hosted on any web server that serves static files. Typical generators are Jekyll, Astro, Eleventy and Hugo. The files are often delivered through a CDN.

web.dev lists the effects. Static rendering gives consistently fast time to first byte and first contentful paint, because the server computes nothing per request.

## Where are the limits?

- **Changes need a new build.** If content changes, the affected pages must be generated and published again. Incremental static regeneration (ISR) updates single pages without a full build, but Next.js lists it as unsupported in a pure static export.
- **Per-request logic is missing.** The Next.js documentation lists cookies, redirects, rewrites and custom headers among the features a static export does not support.
- **Personalized or live content.** Pages that depend on the logged-in user or on live data need client-side requests or a server.

## What does SSG mean for SEO?

The finished HTML already contains text and links, so crawlers do not need to execute JavaScript to see them. Google recommends server-side rendering, static rendering or hydration instead of dynamic rendering, which it calls a workaround.

## Example

```bash
npm run build
# creates e.g. out/index.html, out/blog/post-1.html
```

The files in `out/` go to a web server or CDN. Each URL maps to a finished HTML file.

## Common mistakes

- **Dynamic routes without known parameters.** A Next.js static export does not support dynamic routes without `generateStaticParams()`. The framework reports this as an error during development.
- **Forgetting the server configuration for 404.** For a static host such as Nginx, the Next.js documentation shows a configuration with `try_files $uri $uri.html $uri/ =404` and `error_page 404 /404.html`, so that unknown URLs answer with status 404.
- **Treating static rendering and prerendering as the same.** According to web.dev, statically rendered pages stay interactive without much client-side JavaScript. Prerendering only improves the first paint of a single-page application that still has to boot in the browser. A test with JavaScript disabled shows the difference.

## FAQ

**What is static site generation?** Building HTML pages ahead of time, at build, instead of per request.

**Is SSG the same as prerendering?** The terms overlap. Some frameworks call build-time HTML creation prerendering.

## Rendering approaches compared

| Approach | Where and when is the HTML built? | Content in the delivered HTML? | Google's position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client-side rendering (CSR) | in the browser with JavaScript; data fetching, templating and routing run on the client | no, only after JavaScript has run | Google renders pages with a 200 status in a separate step after crawling and still recommends server-side or pre-rendering because not all bots can run JavaScript |
| Server-side rendering (SSR) | on the server, for each request | yes | recommended by Google as a solution (instead of dynamic rendering) |
| Static site generation (SSG, static rendering) | at build time; usually one HTML file per URL ahead of time | yes | recommended by Google as a solution (instead of dynamic rendering) |
| Incremental static regeneration (ISR) | prerendered at build time; once the revalidation time has passed, the server regenerates the page in the background (framework feature, e.g. Next.js) | yes, from the cache; the older version is served until regeneration finishes | no specific statement from Google |
| Prerendering | at build time; the client-side app is run and its initial state saved as static HTML | yes (initial state) | Google says server-side or pre-rendering is “still a great idea” because it makes sites faster for users and crawlers |
| Dynamic rendering | a rendering server builds HTML only for detected crawlers; users get the client-side rendered version | only in the version served to crawlers | Google calls it a workaround and not a long-term solution; not cloaking as long as users and crawlers see similar content |

Sources: [web.dev: Rendering on the Web](https://web.dev/articles/rendering-on-the-web); [Google Search Central: Understand JavaScript SEO basics (last updated 2026-03-04)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/javascript/javascript-seo-basics); [Google Search Central: Dynamic rendering as a workaround (last updated 2025-12-10)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/javascript/dynamic-rendering); [Next.js Docs: How to implement Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR)](https://nextjs.org/docs/app/guides/incremental-static-regeneration). Last checked: October 8, 2026

*Diagram: Where the HTML is created: CSR, SSR, SSG.* What matters for crawlers is whether the content is already in the first HTML response. Google recommends server-side rendering or prerendering and calls dynamic rendering a workaround, not a long-term solution.

## Related terms

- [Server-side rendering](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/server-side-rendering/index.md)
- [Client-side rendering](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/client-side-rendering/index.md)
- [Incremental static regeneration](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/incremental-static-regeneration/index.md)
- [Hydration](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/hydration/index.md)
- [CDN (content delivery network)](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/cdn/index.md)
- [Prerendering](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/prerendering/index.md)

## Sources

- [Static site generator (SSG) – MDN Glossary](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/SSG)
- [Rendering on the Web – web.dev](https://web.dev/articles/rendering-on-the-web)
- [Static exports – Next.js Docs (last updated Aug 9, 2026)](https://nextjs.org/docs/app/guides/static-exports)
- [Dynamic rendering as a workaround – Google Search Central (updated Dec 10, 2025)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/javascript/dynamic-rendering)

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Last updated: October 8, 2026
URL: https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/static-site-generation/