Web Components provide native browser APIs for creating reusable custom elements. Unlike framework-specific components, Web Components work everywhere—React, Vue, Angular, or vanilla JavaScript. This framework agnosticism suits design systems shared across multiple frontend stacks.
Core Technologies
Custom Elements define new HTML tags with associated behavior. Shadow DOM encapsulates styles and markup preventing conflicts. HTML Templates provide reusable markup structures. These APIs combine to create isolated, reusable components.
- Use custom elements for components shared across different framework projects
- Shadow DOM provides style isolation preventing CSS conflicts
- Lit provides a lightweight framework simplifying Web Component development
- Consider Stencil for Web Components with familiar framework conventions
- Test Web Components across target browsers and frameworks thoroughly
Framework Integration
Most frameworks support Web Components but with varying degrees of friction. React requires special handling for events and properties. Vue and Angular integrate more smoothly. Wrapper components can smooth integration issues while maintaining component reusability.