Astro Crash Course: Build Lightning-Fast Sites With Ease

If you’re just getting started with Astro — or stumbled into layout issues while building your first site like I did — this quick crash course will help you get on track.

Whether you’re creating a personal blog or a full website for a small business, Astro makes it simple, clean, and blazing fast.

What is Astro?

Astro is a modern web framework that:

  • Uses components (like React, Vue, etc.)
  • Ships zero JavaScript by default
  • Optimizes for speed and content-heavy sites
  • Supports .astro, .jsx, .mdx, .ts, and more

It’s perfect for sites that are mostly content but might need sprinkles of interactivity.

Project Structure Overview

Folder/FilePurpose
src/pages/Each .astro file becomes a page. index.astro = homepage
src/layouts/Layout templates (like headers, footers, wrappers)
src/components/Reusable building blocks (Hero.astro, etc.)
public/Static assets (images, fonts, etc.)
astro.config.mjsMain config file
package.jsonnpm dependencies and scripts

Anatomy of an .astro File

---
const { title } = Astro.props;
import MyComponent from '../components/MyComponent.astro';
---

<h1>{title}</h1>
<MyComponent />

This is a blend of JavaScript and HTML — with component logic in the top block.

Layouts: Wrapping Your Pages

A layout is like a page shell. It wraps pages with a consistent structure.

Layout.astro

---
const { title = "My Site" } = Astro.props;
---
<html>
  <head><title>{title}</title></head>
  <body>
    <slot /> <!-- Page content goes here -->
  </body>
</html>

Page using a layout:

---
layout: ../layouts/Layout.astro
title: "Homepage"
---
<h1>Welcome to my site!</h1>

Tip: Don’t put full page content inside your layout. Use it only as a wrapper.

Components

Create reusable building blocks:

Hero.astro

<section class="bg-yellow-100 p-6">
  <h1>¡Hola desde el Hero!</h1>
</section>

Then import and use it:

---
import Hero from '../components/Hero.astro';
---
<Hero />

You can also use React or Vue components with directives like client:load.

🛠 Dev Workflow

npm install      # install dependencies
npm run dev      # start local dev server

Then visit: http://localhost:4321

Deployment

  • Astro works great on Vercel and Netlify
  • Connect your GitHub repo → auto builds + previews

Common Mistake: Layout Confusion

It’s easy to accidentally paste your homepage content into the layout file. But remember:

  • Layout.astro is just a wrapper — use <slot /> to include child content
  • Your real content goes in pages/index.astro
  • Use layout: ../layouts/Layout.astro at the top of your page

Once you internalize that, Astro becomes really fun to use 🚀

Want to Learn More?

Official Astro Docs

Component Islands Architecture

Astro + Tailwind Guide

Keep Learning by Doing

I personally learn best by building, breaking, and fixing — so if you’re doing the same, you’re on the right path.