Gatsby minimal TypeScript starter is a boilerplate for creating Gatsby static sites with TypeScript, providing a minimal project structure and live-reload development server.
What is the Gatsby minimal TypeScript starter?
The Gatsby minimal TypeScript starter is the official minimal boilerplate for starting a Gatsby project with TypeScript. It takes a new Gatsby site configured for TypeScript and produces a working development site with one page at src/pages/index.tsx. The starter is designed to be the smallest possible starting point, removing the example content and styling included in the default Gatsby starter. It is maintained by the Gatsby team and is available through the Gatsby CLI.
Key Features
- TypeScript pre-configured — The project includes TypeScript setup so you can write .tsx files and get type checking during development.
- Minimal file structure — Only one page (src/pages/index.tsx) and the essential config, with no sample blog posts or themes to remove.
- Quick start via CLI — Run
npm init gatsbyand choose the minimal TypeScript starter, thennpm run developto start the server. - Hot reloading — Editing src/pages/index.tsx updates the site in real-time in the browser at http://localhost:8000.
- One-click Gatsby Cloud deployment — The README includes a deploy button that takes a repository URL and provisions a live site on Gatsby Cloud.
- Official documentation links — The README links to Gatsby documentation, tutorials, guides, API reference, plugin library, and cheat sheet for further learning.
Who should use the Gatsby minimal TypeScript starter?
- Developers learning Gatsby — Use the starter to understand core Gatsby concepts like page routing and JSX rendering without extra boilerplate.
- TypeScript developers — Start a Gatsby project where type safety is enabled from the first command, avoiding manual TypeScript setup.
- Site builders needing a blank slate — Use the minimal layout as a base for a marketing site, portfolio, or blog, adding styling and plugins as needed.
What can you do with this starter?
- Scaffold a new site: Run
npm init gatsbyand select the minimal TypeScript starter to generate a project named after your folder. - Develop locally: Run
npm run developto serve the site at http://localhost:8000 with live reload on file edits. - Customize the homepage: Replace the content of src/pages/index.tsx with your own React components to build your site's entry page.
- Deploy instantly: Click the "Deploy to Gatsby Cloud" button in the README to publish the repo to Gatsby Cloud without local configuration.
FAQ
Is the Gatsby minimal TypeScript starter free?
Yes, the starter is open source and available under the Gatsby open source license. You can use it for personal or commercial projects, and you only pay for hosting if you choose to use Gatsby Cloud other than its free tier.
What does the starter include?
It includes the core Gatsby configuration (gatsby-config.ts), a single source page (src/pages/index.tsx), a tsconfig.json for TypeScript, and the standard Gatsby scripts for development and build. There is no styling framework, CMS, or additional plugins included.
How do I start a new site with it?
Install the Gatsby CLI globally, then run npm init gatsby in your terminal. The CLI will prompt you to select a starter; choose the minimal TypeScript starter. After creation, navigate into the folder and run npm run develop.
Can I use this starter for a blog?
Yes, but the starter is intentionally minimal. You will need to add a source plugin such as gatsby-source-filesystem, together with a transformer for Markdown or MDX, to manage blog content. The starter itself has no blog structure.
Does the starter include styling?
No, the starter does not include any CSS framework, global styles, or styling library. You're free to bring your own CSS, a UI library like Tailwind, or CSS-in-JS solution to the project.
