Bootstrap Starter Kit is a minimal open-source starter template from Webpixels that pairs Bootstrap 5 with the Eleventy static site generator to build static websites.
What is Bootstrap Starter Kit?
Bootstrap Starter Kit is a free, MIT-licensed starter project for creating static websites. It takes layouts and pages written with the Nunjucks templating language and compiles them into plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript via Eleventy. The project includes Bootstrap 5 source files installed through npm, Webpixels CSS as the design system, and Parcel for asset bundling. It is maintained by Webpixels, the team behind the Webpixels CSS framework.
Key Features
- Eleventy static site generator — Builds layouts and pages from Nunjucks templates into static HTML output.
- Bootstrap 5 source files — Included via npm so you can compile and autoprefix Sass with the included npm scripts.
- Webpixels CSS — Acts as the design system layered on top of Bootstrap 5.
- Parcel build tooling — Handles asset management, with npm scripts for compiling and autoprefixing Sass, compiling JavaScript, watching for changes, and running a local server.
- Example stylesheet — A scss/main.scss file shows where to write custom styles.
- Example JavaScript — A js/main.js file demonstrates how to import all Bootstrap JavaScript.
- Minification — HTML, CSS, and JS are minified for production builds.
Who should use Bootstrap Starter Kit?
- Front-end developers — Use the starter kit to spin up a static site with Bootstrap 5 and a modern build pipeline without configuring Eleventy and Parcel from scratch.
- Designers who know Bootstrap — Use Webpixels CSS components and example files to quickly prototype pages that compile to production-ready static files.
- Web agencies — Use it as a base for client sites that need static generated output, with npm scripts that simplify local development and production builds.
- JAMstack enthusiasts — Pair the kit with a deploy service like Netlify (the README includes a one-click deploy button) to publish static sites.
Use cases
- Making a blog or marketing site — Use the included Eleventy setup to generate static pages with Bootstrap 5 styling, then deploy to any static host.
- Prototyping components — Mix and match Webpixels' hundreds of Bootstrap components (linked from the README) to build interface mockups quickly.
- Learning Eleventy plus Bootstrap — Follow the official Webpixels tutorial on building JAMstack-ready sites with Bootstrap and 11ty to understand the setup process step by step.
- Building a production site with a custom design — Replace the example scss/main.scss and js/main.js with your own Sass and JavaScript, then use npm run build to produce minified output.
How does Bootstrap Starter Kit work?
After cloning the repository, run npm install to fetch dependencies. Development uses npm start to launch a local server and watch for file changes; production uses npm run build to generate minified static files. The README points to an official Webpixels tutorial that explains the most important setup steps.
Pricing
The project is open-sourced under the MIT license, so it is free to use and modify. There are no paid tiers or premium features mentioned in the README.
FAQ
Is Bootstrap Starter Kit free?
Yes, it is open-sourced under the MIT license, meaning you can use, modify, and distribute it freely.
Does Bootstrap Starter Kit include Bootstrap 5?
Yes, the project includes Bootstrap 5 source files via npm, and shows how to import all Bootstrap JavaScript in the example js/main.js file.
What static site generator does it use?
It uses Eleventy (11ty) to build layouts and pages, with Nunjucks as the templating language. The templates are compiled into static HTML output.
How do I start a local development server?
After running npm install, use the command npm start to start a local server and watch for file changes. For a production build, run npm run build.
Can I deploy this to Netlify?
Yes, the README includes a one-click Netlify deploy button that sets up a new site from the GitHub repository.
