About Astro
Astro builds content sites and sends HTML by default. Interactive pieces are islands you opt into, so most pages ship little JavaScript. Components can come from other UI frameworks.
Why it exists
Content pages were shipping the JavaScript of a full application. Astro keeps the document as HTML and adds client code only where a page needs it.
Who uses it
Marketing and content teams, and developers who already use React, Vue or Svelte components.
What it is used for
Content sites and documentation. A server adapter exists when a route must run on a server. A static build is the common case.
Open source behind the product
The framework is MIT-licensed. You deploy the build. There is no paid runtime you must license to use the framework.
How to run it on a server
- Develop with Node and the Astro CLI. The production process, if any, is the adapter you choose.
- For a static site, build in CI and publish the output folder.
- For a server render, follow that adapter's host guide and set the environment variables it documents.
Follow the project's own guide for the version you install. Commands and file names change between releases.
How to contribute
The withastro/astro repository accepts docs, bug reports and focused pull requests. Read the contributing guide first.
- Read the project's guidelines. Open the repository and look for CONTRIBUTING, the code of conduct and the README.
- Find something to work on. Browse good first issues or all open issues. Documentation and bug reports count.
- Make a small change. Fork the repository, work on a branch, and keep the change focused.
- Open a pull request. Say what changed and why, and link the issue. See open pull requests.
Contributions are accepted under the project's own licence (MIT). Some projects also ask you to sign a contributor agreement. A doc fix or a reproduced bug is a real contribution.
Licence: MIT
Permissive. You can use, modify and distribute it, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright and licence notice.
This is a plain-English guide, not legal advice. Read the licence in the repository before you ship it or sell a service on top of it.