Gatsby Starter Leaflet is a Gatsby boilerplate that scaffolds a React site with the Leaflet mapping library and React Leaflet already wired up, so you can start building a map-based app immediately.
What is Gatsby Starter Leaflet?
Gatsby Starter Leaflet is a starter template created and maintained by Colby Fayock that combines the Gatsby static-site framework with Leaflet and React Leaflet for building React apps around maps. Running gatsby new my-map-app https://github.com/colbyfayock/gatsby-starter-leaflet scaffolds a new Gatsby project that includes a Leaflet map component ready to customize. The starter runs on the Gatsby CLI with Yarn as its package manager and targets static React sites that render interactive maps on the client side.
Key Features
Gatsby Starter Leaflet ships with a preconfigured Gatsby site, the Leaflet mapping library, and React Leaflet, plus Sass, React Helmet, a path-resolution plugin, and one-click deploy options.
- Gatsby framework — The starter builds on Gatsby, so the output is a static React site that works with the Gatsby plugin ecosystem and can be hosted anywhere static sites run.
- Leaflet and React Leaflet — Leaflet provides the map tiles, markers, and pan/zoom interactions, while React Leaflet exposes them as declarative React components.
- Sass styling — Sass is pre-installed, so component styles can use variables, mixins, and nested syntax without adding a CSS preprocessor yourself.
- React Helmet — React Helmet is included for managing the document head, such as page titles and meta descriptions.
- Resolve Src plugin — The gatsby-plugin-resolve-src is configured so modules can be imported relative to the src directory, shortening import paths.
- Yarn package management — Yarn is the default package manager; the README's quick start uses Yarn to install the Gatsby CLI and run the develop script.
- One-click deploys — Deploy buttons for Netlify and Vercel import the starter's GitHub repository directly to publish the site.
Who should use Gatsby Starter Leaflet?
React developers, map app builders, and Gatsby learners are the main audiences this starter targets, because it removes the setup work a mapping project normally requires.
- React developers — Scaffold a new Gatsby project with mapping already configured and skip the Leaflet integration work.
- Map app builders — Start a location-based app such as a store locator or a route visualizer with a working Leaflet map component in the source.
- Gatsby learners — Use the starter as a reference implementation and follow the egghead.io and freeCodeCamp mapping tutorials linked in the README.
What can you do with Gatsby Starter Leaflet?
With the Leaflet map component already in the project, the starter supports any site that needs an interactive map as a core feature.
- Store locator sites: add markers for business locations on a Leaflet map so visitors can pan, zoom, and find addresses.
- Travel and data journals: pair the map component with Gatsby pages to publish content tied to geographic locations.
- Learning mapping in React: follow the "Mapping with React Leaflet" playlist on egghead.io and the freeCodeCamp article that the README links to, using this starter as the project base.
How does Gatsby Starter Leaflet work?
Install the Gatsby CLI globally with yarn global add gatsby-cli, then run gatsby new my-map-app https://github.com/colbyfayock/gatsby-starter-leaflet to scaffold a new site. Navigate into the new directory and run yarn develop to start a local development server. The command creates a new directory containing the starter's files, and the site runs locally with the included Leaflet map component ready to extend.
FAQ
How do I install Gatsby Starter Leaflet?
Install the Gatsby CLI and Yarn, then run gatsby new my-map-app https://github.com/colbyfayock/gatsby-starter-leaflet in your terminal. The command creates a new directory with the starter's files, and you start the development server with yarn develop.
Is Gatsby Starter Leaflet free?
The starter is a public open-source GitHub project, so it is free to clone and use for your own Gatsby site. The README invites contributions of any kind under the all-contributors specification, which is consistent with a community-maintained starter.
What does Gatsby Starter Leaflet include?
The starter includes Yarn, Gatsby, Sass, React Helmet, gatsby-plugin-resolve-src, Leaflet, and React Leaflet. Together these provide a Gatsby site with Sass for styling, a React wrapper for Leaflet maps, and a plugin that resolves imports relative to the src directory.
What is the difference between Leaflet and React Leaflet?
Leaflet is the underlying JavaScript library that renders interactive maps, tiles, and markers. React Leaflet is a wrapper that exposes Leaflet as declarative React components, so both packages are included to make the map work inside a Gatsby React project.
Can I deploy Gatsby Starter Leaflet to Netlify or Vercel?
Yes. The README includes deploy buttons for both Netlify and Vercel that import the starter's GitHub repository directly, allowing you to publish the site without running a local build first.
