What Is a JavaScript Framework?

What it applies to

Complex front-end applications where vanilla JavaScript or a no-code platform would require excessive custom code — authenticated user interfaces, real-time dashboards, complex state management, and applications with many interconnected UI states.

How to start a Next.js project (the most common choice for new projects)

• Run npx create-next-app@latest my-project — this scaffolds a complete Next.js project with TypeScript, ESLint, Tailwind CSS, and the App Router pre-configured.
• Pages are created by adding files to the /app directory — the file system is the router. /app/about/page.tsx → yoursite.com/about.
• Components are built as React functions that return JSX. They can be Server Components (rendered on the server, faster, no JavaScript sent to client) or Client Components (interactive, with state and event handlers).
• Data fetching happens in Server Components via async/await — fetch external APIs, databases, or Webflow's CMS API directly in the component.
• Deploy to Vercel (same company, zero-config deployment) or Netlify for automatic CI/CD on every Git push.

When Webflow + a framework makes sense

Use Webflow for the marketing site and a Next.js/React app for the product — connected via subdomain (app.yourdomain.com). Webflow handles content marketing without developer overhead; the framework handles complex product UI without Webflow's constraints.