Gatsby Sass Starter is a minimal Gatsby.js boilerplate that scaffolds a new static site with Sass support and no pre-installed components, plugins, or GraphQL queries.
What is Gatsby Sass Starter?
Gatsby Sass Starter is a GitHub-hosted starter template by developer Colby Fayock that sets up a new Gatsby project with Sass configured from the start. It takes a directory name and a repository URL as input through the Gatsby CLI, and produces a working Gatsby site with a standard file structure, Yarn package management, React Helmet for managing document head tags, and the gatsby-plugin-resolve-src plugin for absolute imports. The starter runs on Gatsby, a React-based static site generator, and is designed to be a quick bootstrap without opinionated extras.
What makes Gatsby Sass Starter stand out?
- Sass pre-configured — Styles can be written in SCSS syntax immediately, with no additional configuration steps.
- Yarn — Package management is set up for Yarn with ready-to-run scripts like
yarn develop. - React Helmet — Included to manage the document head, allowing per-page titles and meta tags from React components.
- Resolve Src plugin — The gatsby-plugin-resolve-src plugin adds an alias to the
srcdirectory so you can use absolute import paths. - No bloat — Intentionally excludes extra Gatsby plugins, sample components, GraphQL queries, stubbed files, and opinionated test or formatting setups, so there is nothing to clean up after scaffolding.
Who should use Gatsby Sass Starter?
- Gatsby developers who want a clean starting point without wading through a lot of sample code.
- Sass users who prefer SCSS syntax and want it wired up in Gatsby with zero manual configuration.
- Front-end developers learning Gatsby who want a minimal project that demonstrates the basic file structure and build process.
What can you do with Gatsby Sass Starter?
- Rapid prototyping: Scaffold a new Gatsby site in one command, then immediately start building pages and styling them with SCSS partials, variables, mixins, and functions.
- JAMstack projects: Use the starter as a base for a content site or blog by adding a CMS or data source later — the project stays lean until you need more.
- Learning Gatsby: Study the minimal file structure and use it to follow along with Gatsby tutorials without the distraction of pre-built sample components.
How does Gatsby Sass Starter work?
- Install the Gatsby CLI globally with
yarn global add gatsby-cli. - Run
gatsby new [directory] https://github.com/colbyfayock/gatsby-starter-sassto scaffold a new site. - Navigate into the new directory and run
yarn developto start a local development server.
FAQ
Is Gatsby Sass Starter free?
Yes, the starter is open source and hosted on GitHub, so it can be used freely for any project.
What are the requirements to use Gatsby Sass Starter?
You need the Gatsby CLI and Yarn installed. The README links to Yarn's installation guide and shows installing the Gatsby CLI globally through Yarn.
Does Gatsby Sass Starter include GraphQL?
No. The starter deliberately excludes GraphQL, stubbed files, sample components, and extra plugins so that a quick bootstrap stays clean and uncluttered.
Who maintains Gatsby Sass Starter?
The all-contributors table lists Colby Fayock as the sole contributor, and the repository follows the all-contributors specification for crediting contributions.
