Frontend Developer Roadmap

A step-by-step Frontend Developer roadmap: the full stack, the skills to learn in order and the best places to learn each step.

The stack, end to end

  • Fundamentals: HTTP and HTTPS, DNS, Browsers, Client and server, Git, GitHub, Branching and merging, Pull requests
  • Frontend: HTML, Semantic markup, Forms, Accessibility basics, CSS, Flexbox, CSS Grid, Responsive design, Tailwind CSS, JavaScript, DOM and events, Promises and async/await, ES modules, Fetch API, TypeScript, Interfaces and types, Generics, React, Components and props, State and hooks, React Router, Data fetching, Core Web Vitals, Accessibility, Image optimisation, Technical SEO
  • Testing: Unit testing, Component testing, End-to-end testing
  • Get hired: Portfolio projects, Technical resume, Interview preparation

  1. How the internet and the web work

    Suggested pace: Start here

    Before writing code, understand what happens when you open a web page: browsers, servers, DNS, HTTP requests and responses, and what a URL is made of. Everything else you learn sits on top of this.

    Skills

    • HTTP and HTTPS
    • DNS
    • Browsers
    • Client and server

    Tips

    • Open your browser developer tools, go to the Network tab and watch the requests a page makes.

    Where to learn

  2. Version control with Git and GitHub

    Suggested pace: Next

    Git records the history of your code and lets teams work on the same project. Learn to commit, branch, merge, resolve conflicts and open a pull request on GitHub. Almost every software job expects it.

    Skills

    • Git
    • GitHub
    • Branching and merging
    • Pull requests

    Tips

    • Put every practice project on GitHub. It doubles as your portfolio.

    Where to learn

  3. HTML: structure of a web page

    Suggested pace: Then

    HTML describes the content of a page: headings, paragraphs, links, images, lists, forms and tables. Learn semantic tags and accessibility basics so pages make sense to people, search engines and screen readers.

    Skills

    • HTML
    • Semantic markup
    • Forms
    • Accessibility basics

    Tips

    • Build a simple page with no styling first. If it reads well plain, the structure is right.

    Where to learn

  4. CSS: layout and design

    Suggested pace: After that

    CSS controls how a page looks: colours, fonts, spacing, Flexbox and Grid layouts and responsive design for phones and desktops. Add a utility framework such as Tailwind once the basics are clear.

    Skills

    • CSS
    • Flexbox
    • CSS Grid
    • Responsive design
    • Tailwind CSS

    Tips

    • Test every page at phone width first. Most visitors are on phones.

    Where to learn

  5. JavaScript

    Suggested pace: Later

    JavaScript makes pages interactive and also runs on servers. Learn the language properly: types, functions, scope, objects and arrays, the DOM, events, promises and async/await, and modules.

    Skills

    • JavaScript
    • DOM and events
    • Promises and async/await
    • ES modules
    • Fetch API

    Tips

    • Build small things (a to-do list, a quiz, a weather widget) before jumping to a framework.

    Where to learn

  6. TypeScript

    Suggested pace: Later

    TypeScript adds types to JavaScript so many mistakes are caught before the code runs. It is now common in frontend and Node.js teams. Learn basic types, interfaces, generics and how to type API data.

    Skills

    • TypeScript
    • Interfaces and types
    • Generics

    Tips

    • Turn a small JavaScript project into TypeScript to learn quickly.

    Where to learn

  7. React

    Suggested pace: Later

    React builds interfaces from reusable components. Learn components, props, state, hooks, forms, routing and how to fetch and show data from an API.

    Skills

    • React
    • Components and props
    • State and hooks
    • React Router
    • Data fetching

    Tips

    • Build one project with real data and several pages, for example a job board or a recipe finder.

    Where to learn

  8. Testing frontend code

    Suggested pace: Later

    Write tests so changes do not break things: unit tests for functions and components, and a few end-to-end tests of the main user journeys.

    Skills

    • Unit testing
    • Component testing
    • End-to-end testing

    Tips

    • Test behaviour a user would notice, not internal details.

    Where to learn

  9. Performance, accessibility and SEO

    Suggested pace: Later

    Fast, accessible pages keep visitors and rank better. Learn Core Web Vitals, image and script loading, keyboard and screen-reader basics, and the metadata search engines read.

    Skills

    • Core Web Vitals
    • Accessibility
    • Image optimisation
    • Technical SEO

    Tips

    • Run Lighthouse in Chrome on your own project and fix the first three issues it lists.

    Where to learn

  10. Build your portfolio, resume and interview skills

    Suggested pace: When you are ready

    Employers want proof. Finish two or three projects you can show and explain, put them on GitHub, write a clear resume that matches the jobs you apply for, and practise the interview questions for the role.

    Skills

    • Portfolio projects
    • Technical resume
    • Interview preparation

    Tips

    • Describe what you built, why, and what you would improve. That is what interviewers ask about.

    Build your resume · Check your resume (ATS) · Interview questions · Salaries · Browse jobs

Frequently asked questions

Where should I start with Frontend Developer?

Start at step 1 and work down in order, because later steps build on earlier ones. If you are signed in, the roadmap compares your resume with each step and marks where you could start.

Do I need a degree to work as a Frontend Developer?

It depends on the employer and the country. Many employers accept proven skills and projects, while others ask for a degree. Read the adverts for the roles you want and ask the employer if it is unclear.

How do I know I am ready to apply?

When you can build a small project from start to finish without copying a tutorial, and explain why you made your choices. Apply while you keep learning; you do not need to know everything.