#Amazon Web Services
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High-Performance Static Site Generation on AWS
28 min read • Published on • Last Updated OnMaster production-grade SSG architecture with deployment strategies, performance optimization techniques, and advanced AWS patterns for building fast, scalable static sites.TLDRStatic Site Generation (SSG) is a build-time rendering approach that pre-generates HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files for exceptional performance, security, and scalability when deployed on AWS with CloudFront CDN.Core SSG PrinciplesBuild-Time Rendering: All pages generated at build time, not request timeStatic Assets: Pure HTML, CSS, JS files served from CDN edge locationsContent Sources: Markdown files, headless CMS APIs, or structured dataTemplates/Components: React, Vue, or templating languages for page generationGlobal CDN: Deployed to edge locations worldwide for instant deliveryRendering Spectrum ComparisonSSG: Fastest TTFB, excellent SEO, stale data, lowest infrastructure complexitySSR: Slower TTFB, excellent SEO, real-time data, highest infrastructure complexityCSR: Slowest TTFB, poor SEO, real-time data, low infrastructure complexityHybrid: Per-page rendering decisions for optimal performance and functionalityAdvanced AWS ArchitectureAtomic Deployments: Versioned directories in S3 (e.g., /build_001/, /build_002/)Instant Rollbacks: CloudFront origin path updates for zero-downtime rollbacksLambda@Edge: Dynamic routing, redirects, and content negotiation at the edgeBlue-Green Deployments: Parallel environments with traffic switching via cookiesCanary Releases: Gradual traffic shifting for risk mitigationPerformance OptimizationPre-Compression: Brotli (Q11) and Gzip (-9) compression during build processContent Negotiation: Lambda@Edge function serving optimal compression formatCLS Prevention: Image dimensions, font optimization, responsive component renderingAsset Delivery: Organized S3 structure with proper metadata and cache headersEdge Caching: CloudFront cache policies with optimal TTL valuesDeployment StrategiesVersioned Deployments: Each build in unique S3 directory with build version headersRollback Mechanisms: Instant rollbacks via CloudFront origin path updatesCache Invalidation: Strategic cache purging for new deploymentsZero-Downtime: Atomic deployments with instant traffic switchingA/B Testing: Lambda@Edge routing based on user cookies or IP hashingAdvanced PatternsDual Build Strategy: Separate mobile/desktop builds for optimal CLS preventionEdge Redirects: High-performance redirects handled at CloudFront edgePre-Compressed Assets: Build-time compression with content negotiationResponsive Rendering: Device-specific builds with user agent detectionGradual Rollouts: Canary releases with percentage-based traffic routingPerformance BenefitsTTFB: <50ms (vs 200-500ms for SSR)Compression Ratios: 85-90% bandwidth savings with pre-compressionGlobal Delivery: Edge locations worldwide for instant accessScalability: CDN handles unlimited traffic without server scalingSecurity: Reduced attack surface with no server-side code executionBest PracticesBuild Optimization: Parallel builds, incremental generation, asset optimizationCache Strategy: Aggressive caching with proper cache invalidationMonitoring: Real-time metrics, performance monitoring, error trackingSEO Optimization: Static sitemaps, meta tags, structured dataSecurity: HTTPS enforcement, security headers, CSP policies