Build a Scalable Developer Tools Hub 🧰
Building a single tool is easy. Building a platform with 50+ tools is an architecture challenge. You cannot manually copy-paste the header, footer, and SEO tags 50 times. You need a system.
In this guide, we will break down the exact architecture used in robust tool platforms (like the one you are using right now!).
Step 1: The "Config-Driven" Approach 📋
Do not hardcode tool links in your HTML. Create a central Registry (a config file) that acts as the "Source of Truth" for your application. This allows you to generate menus, search results, and sitemaps automatically.
// data/tools-registry.ts
import { Code2, Calculator, Hash } from "lucide-react";
export const tools = [
{
id: "jwt-decoder",
title: "JWT Decoder",
description: "Decode and verify JSON Web Tokens.",
href: "/dev-tools/jwt-decoder",
icon: Code2,
category: "Security"
},
{
id: "regex-tester",
title: "Regex Tester",
description: "Test regular expressions in real-time.",
href: "/dev-tools/regex-tester",
icon: Hash,
category: "Parsing"
}
];
Step 2: The Shared Layout Component 📐
Every tool page needs a specific look: a title, a description, and a standard width. React Composition is perfect for this.
// components/ToolLayout.tsx
export function ToolLayout({ title, description, children }) {
return (
<div className="max-w-4xl mx-auto px-6 py-12">
<header className="mb-8 text-center">
<h1 className="text-3xl font-bold mb-2">{title}</h1>
<p className="text-slate-600 max-w-2xl mx-auto">{description}</p>
</header>
<main className="bg-white rounded-xl shadow-lg border p-6">
{children}
</main>
</div>
)
}
Usage:
export default function JwtPage() {
return (
<ToolLayout title="JWT Decoder" description="...">
<JwtDecoderComponent />
</ToolLayout>
)
}
Step 3: The Hub Page (Grid Layout) 🕸️
Now, building the "All Tools" page is trivial. We just map over our config array. This page is essentially a gallery.
import { tools } from "@/data/tools-registry"
export default function HubPage() {
return (
<div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-6">
{tools.map((tool) => (
<a
key={tool.id}
href={tool.href}
className="p-6 bg-white rounded-xl border hover:shadow-md transition group"
>
<div className="flex items-center gap-3 mb-3">
<div className="p-2 bg-blue-50 rounded-lg text-blue-600 group-hover:bg-blue-600 group-hover:text-white transition">
<tool.icon size={24} />
</div>
<h3 className="font-bold">{tool.title}</h3>
</div>
<p className="text-sm text-slate-500">
{tool.description}
</p>
</a>
))}
</div>
)
}
Step 4: SEO Automation (JSON-LD) 🔍
For search engines to understand your hub, you need ItemList Schema Markup.
Since we have a tools array, we can auto-generate this!
const generateSchema = () => {
return {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "ItemList",
"itemListElement": tools.map((tool, index) => ({
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": index + 1,
"name": tool.title,
"url": `https://your-site.com${tool.href}`
}))
}
}
Inject this into your page's <head> using a script tag.
Google maps "List Items" to rich carousel snippets in search results, boosting your click-through rate.
Step 5: Advanced Search Architecture 🚀
When you have 50+ tools, a grid isn't enough. You need Instant Search.
Because your tools are in a standard JSON array (tools-registry.ts), search is easy to implement.
The Filter Logic:
const searchTools = (query: string) => {
const lower = query.toLowerCase();
return tools.filter(t =>
t.title.toLowerCase().includes(lower) ||
t.description.toLowerCase().includes(lower)
);
}
This "Config-First" architecture separates data from UI, making your platform infinitely scalable. Adding a new tool takes 30 seconds: Add the component, add the entry to the config. Done.