As frontend applications grow in size and complexity, managing them through a single, monolithic codebase becomes increasingly difficult. Multiple teams working on the same code can lead to integration conflicts, bottlenecks in deployment, and challenges in scaling individual parts of the product. Micro frontend architecture addresses these issues by dividing the user interface into smaller, independently managed pieces.
This blog walks through what micro frontend architecture is, when it’s useful, and how to approach building one from the ground up. Whether you’re working on an enterprise dashboard, a content platform, or a customer portal, this pattern can make development more manageable and team collaboration more efficient.
What is Micro Frontend Architecture?
Micro frontend architecture is a design approach where a frontend application is broken into individual features or modules, each built and maintained by separate teams. These modules, or “micro frontends,” are then brought together to form a full product interface.
Each micro frontend functions like a small app on its own. It may have its build system, codebase, and deployment pipeline. But when assembled, they work together under one host application, giving users a unified experience.
This idea draws inspiration from microservices on the backend, which split large systems into small, independently deployable units. Micro frontends apply a similar approach to the frontend layer.
# Why Consider Micro Frontends?
There are many reasons teams move toward micro frontend architecture:
- The product has grown beyond the scope of a single team.
- Teams want autonomy over development and deployment.
- Features are changing rapidly, and updates must ship without affecting unrelated areas.
- Multiple teams need to collaborate without being tightly coupled.
Micro frontends offer a way to improve maintainability and reduce coordination overhead. When structured well, they allow faster feature delivery and lower the risk of changes affecting unrelated parts of the application.
That said, they’re not a one-size-fits-all solution. This approach adds technical overhead and may not suit small projects or early-stage startups.
How to Build a Micro Frontend Architecture?
Let’s walk through the process of building a micro frontend-based application.
Step 1: Define Module Boundaries
Break down your application by features or business areas. For example:
- Dashboard
- Reports
- Notifications
- User Management
- Settings
Each of these areas can be a standalone module with its repository and team.
Step 2: Choose a Composition Method
Decide how the micro frontends will be combined:
- Use Webpack Module Federation for runtime integration.
- Build Web Components for flexible embedding.
- Use JavaScript includes to manually load modules.
- Rely on iFrames for strict separation.
This choice affects your build pipeline, deployment strategy, and runtime behavior.
Step 3: Build Each Micro Frontend
Each micro frontend should:
- It has its repository and package.json.
- Define its own routes and state management.
- Include unit and integration tests.
- Share design patterns and components with others via a common library (if possible).
Step 4: Create the Host Application
The host app is responsible for:
- Rendering layout and navigation.
- Loading each micro frontend (either at build or runtime).
- Handling global state (authentication, language preferences, etc.).
- Providing access to shared libraries.(icons, buttons, forms)
Use the same design system and base styles as the micro frontends to keep a consistent look.
Step 5: Handle Communication Between Modules
There will be times when modules need to share data — for example, passing user data from the authentication module to the dashboard. You can manage this via:
- Custom JavaScript events.
- Shared state libraries (like Redux or Zustand).
- Context providers passed from the host.
Keep communication loose to avoid tight coupling between modules.
Step 6: Set Up Individual CI/CD Pipelines
Each micro frontend should have its build and deploy pipeline. Use tools like GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Jenkins. This setup allows teams to push updates without waiting for a master build or coordinating across repositories.
Also Read: Mastering Android Architecture
Key Principles of Micro Frontend Design
To build an effective micro frontend system, a few core ideas need to guide the design process.
- Autonomy: Each micro frontend should be independently developed, tested, and deployed. Teams working on them should not rely on updates or coordination with other teams to make changes or push new features.
- Clear Ownership: Define boundaries based on business domains. Assign ownership of each module to a team. This reduces overlap and confusion during development and maintenance.
- Consistent User Experience: Even though different teams build different modules, the app should look and feel like one product. Use a shared design system or style guide to align typography, spacing, buttons, and layout.
- Composable Architecture: Design micro frontends in a way that allows easy integration into a container or shell application. These components should plug in without needing deep modifications to the host or each other.
- Separate Codebases: Micro frontends are typically stored in individual repositories. This gives teams full control over their development and release workflows.
The Benefits of Micro Frontends
Splitting the frontend into smaller, modular units introduces several advantages:
- Teams can build and release features independently.
- Version control becomes easier, with fewer merge conflicts.
- Bugs in one part of the UI don’t block the release of other features.
- Codebases stay smaller, so teams don’t need to understand the entire app to contribute.
- Testing becomes more focused, and test coverage is easier to maintain.
This approach is especially useful in large organizations where different departments work on different areas of the platform.
When Micro Frontends Make Sense?
Micro frontends are a good fit when:
- The product has distinct areas owned by different teams.
- Release cycles vary across features.
- Features need to scale independently.
- Different technology stacks are being used across teams.
- Monolithic codebases are causing slow builds, fragile testing, or long deployments.
This model is less suitable for:
- Small applications with simple interfaces.
- Projects managed by one or two developers.
- Systems that don’t require team-level separation.
Technologies Used in Micro Frontends
There are multiple ways to implement micro frontend systems, depending on your team’s needs and technical preferences.
1. Module Federation
Webpack 5’s Module Federation allows separately built and deployed JavaScript applications to share code at runtime. It supports real-time integration and is widely adopted for micro frontend implementations.
- Separate apps can import each other’s components.
- Shared libraries can be cached or loaded once.
- Each module can run its build pipeline.
This is currently one of the most flexible and efficient solutions.
2. Web Components
Web components are browser-native standards that include Shadow DOM, custom elements, and HTML templates. They allow encapsulated components that work across frameworks.
- Can be developed with or without frameworks.
- Supported by most modern browsers.
- Useful for cross-team or cross-platform components.
3. iFrame Integration
iFrames are isolated windows embedded inside a parent application. They are easy to implement but may reduce performance and affect styling consistency.
- Good for complete isolation.
- Poor integration with global styles and shared context.
4. JavaScript-Based Composition
You can write a shell app that loads other modules dynamically via scripts or JSON configuration. This offers flexibility but requires manual management of lifecycles, routing, and dependency loading.
Common Challenges Faced Are!
Micro frontends offer flexibility, but they also introduce new problems:
- Load Time: Too many JavaScript bundles may slow down the app.
- Version Conflicts: Different micro frontends may rely on different versions of the same dependency.
- Routing: Coordinating routes across modules requires careful planning.
- Testing: Integration testing must include all modules together to verify behavior.
Teams must address these with thoughtful architecture and continuous monitoring.
Shiv Technolabs – Providing Modular Frontend Development
At Shiv Technolabs, we help businesses build scalable frontend applications. Our team specializes in modern web architecture, including micro frontend setups using tools like React, Angular, Webpack, and Module Federation.
We’ve worked with enterprise platforms where independent development and deployment are essential. From planning architecture to implementing build pipelines and handling cross-module communication, we can assist every step of the way.
Whether you’re rebuilding a legacy frontend or launching a new platform, contact Shiv Technolabs because we can provide the guidance and support you need.
Final Thoughts
Micro frontend architecture is a powerful way to manage complexity in frontend development. By dividing large applications into smaller, manageable pieces, teams gain flexibility, reduce risk, and speed up delivery.
This architecture does come with challenges, but with the right planning, it creates a development environment where teams can thrive and applications can grow without becoming unmanageable.
For teams ready to take the next step in modern frontend development, Shiv Technolabs is here to help.
