If you’ve ever used a website like Instagram, YouTube, or an online shop, you’ve probably clicked on buttons that take you to different pages—like a user profile, a settings page, or a product page. It might seem like a huge mess behind the scenes, but actually, developers use smart systems to keep it organized and easy to manage.

Let’s break it down.

1. The Idea of “Routes” and “Pages”

In modern websites, each page is connected to a “route.” A route is basically a web address (like /home, /profile, or /settings) that tells the browser what content to show. When you click a button, the website doesn’t always reload the whole page. Instead, it changes the route, and the app knows to show a different component—a piece of the front end designed to display a specific page.

For example, when you click “My Profile” on Instagram, the route might change to something like /user/yourusername, and the app loads the profile component for that route.

2. The Role of a Front-End Framework

To keep everything organized, developers often use tools called front-end frameworks, like React, Vue, or Angular. These tools help split the website into small, reusable parts called components—like buttons, menus, post cards, or even entire pages.

Instead of writing one huge file for the whole site, developers split everything into smaller files. For example:

HomePage.js ProfilePage.js PostDetail.js Header.js

Each file handles a different part of the app. When you click something, the app knows what route you’re going to, and it pulls in the right file to show you that part.

3. Behind the Scenes: The Router

Most frameworks use a router—a tool that watches the URL and controls what gets displayed. It’s like a traffic controller for page changes. When you go to /profile, the router tells the app, “Hey, show the Profile component now.”

This system helps developers keep track of all the pages and interactions in one central place. You can even pass data through routes, like user IDs or post IDs, so the page knows what to show.

4. Reusing Components for Efficiency

A smart thing developers do is reuse components. For example, the same post component can be used in your feed, on a profile, or in a detail view. This keeps code clean and saves time. If they want to change how posts look, they only need to update one file, and the change applies everywhere.

5. State Management: Remembering What’s Going On

Sometimes a website needs to remember what the user is doing—like what post they liked or what item they added to their cart. Developers use something called state management to keep track of this information across different pages. This way, even when the user moves between routes, the app still remembers what’s happening.

6. Why It’s Easy to Maintain

Organizing a site into components, routes, and states makes it easy to maintain. Developers can:

Quickly find the part of the site they want to update. Reuse code without repeating themselves. Add new features without breaking the old ones.

So even if a site has 50+ pages, it’s not one giant mess. It’s like a well-organized bookshelf, where everything has a name and a place.

In Simple Terms

When you click a button and a new page shows up, you’re really just switching views. Developers make this work smoothly using routes, components, and routers, all managed by modern tools. It’s like building with LEGO blocks—each piece fits into a clear spot, and the whole thing comes together to form a working website.