What micro frontends are
Micro frontends extend the microservice idea to the browser. A page is composed from several independently built and deployed frontends.
- Each team owns one piece end to end, from code to deploy.
- Pieces are integrated at build time, run time, or via the server.
- The goal is independent delivery without a single shared release.
How a page composes
A shell loads several remote frontends and arranges them into one experience.
Integration approaches
- Run time composition loads remotes in the browser, often via module federation.
- Server side composition assembles fragments before sending HTML.
- Build time composition bundles packages together at compile.
Tradeoffs
- Teams ship independently, which speeds delivery for large orgs.
- But you risk duplicated dependencies and inconsistent UX.
- Shared design systems and clear contracts keep the pieces coherent.
Practical notes
- Budget bundle size since each remote adds weight.
- Define ownership of shared concerns like auth and routing.
- Use a design system so the seams between apps stay invisible.
Key idea
Micro frontends let teams build and deploy parts of a page independently, trading shared releases for autonomy at the cost of consistency you must actively manage.