Set Up Strapi with AstroJS for Dynamic Content

Building modern websites often requires a perfect balance between performance and content management. Enter the dynamic duo of AstroJS and Strapi – a combination that brings together the speed of static site generation with the flexibility of a headless CMS. Today, I’ll walk you through setting up these powerful tools to create a blazing-fast, content-rich website.

Why This Combination?

Before diving into the technical setup, let’s understand why this pairing makes sense. AstroJS excels at delivering lightning-fast websites through its innovative partial hydration approach, while Strapi provides a robust and user-friendly content management system. Together, they create a modern stack that’s both developer-friendly and content-creator approved.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have:

• Node.js (v16 or higher) installed
• Basic knowledge of JavaScript/TypeScript
• Familiarity with REST APIs
• A code editor of your choice

Setting Up Strapi

Let’s start by setting up our Strapi backend. Open your terminal and run:

npx create-strapi-app@latest my-project
cd my-project
npm run develop

Once Strapi is running, create a new content type called “Article” with fields for title, content, and featured image. This will serve as our blog post structure.

Setting Up AstroJS

Now, let’s create our AstroJS project:

npm create astro@latest my-astro-blog
cd my-astro-blog

Install necessary dependencies:

npm install @astrojs/node

Connecting AstroJS with Strapi

Create a new file called strapi.js in your src/lib directory to handle API calls:

const STRAPI_URL = 'http://localhost:1337/api';

export async function getArticles() {
  const res = await fetch(`${STRAPI_URL}/articles?populate=*`);
  const { data } = await res.json();
  return data;
}

Create your article list page in src/pages/index.astro:

---
import { getArticles } from '../lib/strapi';
const articles = await getArticles();
---

<Layout title="Blog">
  <main>
    {articles.map((article) => (
      <article>
        <h2>{article.attributes.title}</h2>
        <p>{article.attributes.content}</p>
      </article>
    ))}
  </main>
</Layout>

Deploying Your Solution

When deploying, consider these best practices:

1. Use environment variables for API URLs
2. Implement proper error handling
3. Add caching strategies
4. Configure CORS settings in Strapi

Your website is now powered by a robust CMS while maintaining the performance benefits of static site generation. The content team can easily manage content through Strapi’s admin panel, while developers enjoy the elegant development experience of AstroJS.