React Router Basics: Multi-Page Navigation for a Brochure Website

Source: Dev.to

Hook — why this matters

If you’re building a simple brochure website in React, you want crisp, URL‑driven navigation without sacrificing the speed and statefulness of a single‑page app. React Router gives you multi‑page‑like navigation with no full page reloads, letting visitors move between Home, About, Services, and Contact pages quickly and predictably.

This article explains the practical why and how: when to use React Router, what the minimal setup looks like, and a handful of implementation tips to keep your site maintainable and deployable.

When to use React Router for a brochure site

A brochure site is usually a small collection of static‑ish pages meant to inform visitors. Even for a 3–6 page site, React Router is useful because it:

• Keeps navigation snappy (no full reloads).
• Maps readable URLs to components.
• Makes your layout and navigation reusable.
• Keeps the door open for future expansion (nested pages, sections).

If you prefer a component‑first architecture and plan to add small interactive features later, Router is a future‑proof choice.

The minimal setup (conceptually)

You don’t need a lot to get multi‑page navigation working:

1. Install react-router-dom in your project.
2. Wrap your app in a BrowserRouter so routing features are available.
3. Define a Routes container and several Route entries that map path strings to components.
4. Use Link or NavLink elements instead of native anchor tags for internal navigation.

Think of BrowserRouter as the wiring, Routes/Route as the map, and NavLink/Link as the clickable GPS that updates the URL without leaving the page.

Core concepts (plain language)

• BrowserRouter – the router provider that listens to the browser URL and manages history.
• Routes – a container that chooses which route to render based on the current path.
• Route – a single path → component mapping, e.g., "/about" → AboutPage.
• Link / NavLink – replacements for anchor tags that navigate without reloading; NavLink can automatically mark the active link.
• Outlet – a placeholder inside a parent layout where nested child routes render.

You don’t need to memorize API names, but understand the roles: provider, router map, link helpers, and an outlet for nested content.

Quick checklist before you code

• Node and npm installed; project created (Create React App, Vite, etc.).
• react-router-dom added to your dependencies.
• One BrowserRouter at the app root.
• Routes and Route used to declare pages.
• Navigation built with NavLink for active styling.
• A fallback Route (path="*") for 404 handling.

Practical implementation tips (developer‑friendly)

• Keep pages as simple components: Home, About, Services, Contact. Put them in src/pages for clarity.
• Use a Layout component that includes your Navbar and Footer and renders child routes with an Outlet. This avoids repeating header/footer code.
• Use NavLink’s className or style as a function to apply an active state, rather than doing manual path comparisons.
• For deep links under a section (e.g., /services/web-design), use nested routes so the parent layout remains consistent and the child content renders in‑place.
• Avoid native anchor tags for internal links; they will cause full reloads and break the SPA experience.
• Add a simple 404 route as the last Route: when no path matches, render a helpful “Page not found” message.

Deployment pointers

Client‑side routing needs one extra step on static hosts: configure the host to serve index.html for any route so deep links don’t 404.

• Netlify – add a redirects rule to send all paths to index.html.
• Vercel – it generally handles SPA rewrites automatically, but verify if you customize routing.

Also, set proper meta tags (React Helmet or similar) if SEO matters and consider server‑side rendering later for improved SEO if your brochure site needs search visibility.

Best practices summary

• Start small and centralize your route definitions.
• Use semantic HTML for navigation and test keyboard accessibility.
• Keep route paths lowercase and descriptive.
• Plan for growth with nested routes and a layout component.

Conclusion

React Router turns a simple React app into a well‑structured brochure website with readable URLs, consistent layout, and fast navigation. Use a layout + outlet pattern, NavLink for active styling, and remember to configure your host for client‑side routing on deployment. With these basics, your brochure site will be fast, maintainable, and ready to grow.