Web developer portfolio examples

If you are searching for web developer portfolio examples, you probably want two things: inspiration you can copy, and a clear checklist so your site looks professional to recruiters and clients.

This guide shows 12 portfolio styles (with real, practical section ideas), the exact content that helps you get interviews, and what to skip. At the end, you will find a publish checklist and hosting tips so your portfolio loads fast and stays online.

What a great developer portfolio does (in plain English)

A developer portfolio is not a gallery. It is a decision page that helps someone answer:

• Can you build the kind of work they need?
• Can you communicate clearly?
• Are you a safe hire (reliable, organized, easy to work with)?

Your goal is simple: make it easy to say yes.

12 web developer portfolio examples (by style you can copy)

These are not specific people. They are portfolio patterns you can model today, even if you are a beginner.

1) The minimalist one-page portfolio (best for junior roles)

What it looks like: - One scrolling page: intro, skills, 2 to 4 projects, contact

What to include: - A clear headline: “Front-end developer building fast React sites” - 2 to 4 projects with screenshots and links - One short paragraph on what you are looking for (job, internship, freelance)

When it works: - You want speed, clarity, and low maintenance.

2) The case-study portfolio (best for mid-level and above)

What it looks like: - Fewer projects, but each has a full story

Case study structure you can copy: - Problem: what was broken, slow, or confusing - Constraints: timeline, budget, stack, SEO, content limits - Solution: what you built and why - Results: metrics or outcomes (even small ones) - Tradeoffs: what you did not do, and why

This style is powerful because it shows judgement, not just screenshots.

3) The “product builder” portfolio (best for startups)

What it looks like: - A portfolio that reads like a product page

Include: - A “build log” section: features shipped, roadmap thinking - A short demo video or GIF (20 to 40 seconds) - A “how I work” section: discovery, estimation, delivery, QA

4) The freelance client-focused portfolio (best for service work)

What it looks like: - Services first, then proof, then process

Sections to add: - Services: landing pages, WordPress, ecommerce, performance fixes - “Typical timelines” and a small pricing range (optional) - A simple intake form: “Tell me about your project”

5) The front-end UI portfolio (best for UI-heavy roles)

What it looks like: - Strong visuals, motion, micro-interactions

Proof ideas: - Component library screenshots - Accessibility notes (keyboard navigation, contrast) - Lighthouse scores (performance and accessibility)

Be careful: do not sacrifice speed for animations. A slow portfolio is a bad demo.

6) The full-stack portfolio (best for generalist roles)

What it looks like: - A “system” view, not just pages

Add these details per project: - Auth approach (sessions, JWT, OAuth) - DB schema overview (even a simple diagram) - Background jobs, queues, caching - Deployment setup (CI/CD, environments)

7) The “open-source first” portfolio (best for GitHub-heavy evaluation)

What it looks like: - Fewer visuals, more engineering proof

What to include: - 2 to 3 pinned repos that are clean and documented - A “good first issue” label if you maintain a project - Clear READMEs: install steps, tests, screenshots, decisions

8) The niche specialist portfolio (best for fast positioning)

Examples of niches: - “WordPress performance and Core Web Vitals” - “Shopify theme customization” - “Web apps for internal dashboards” - “Headless CMS marketing sites”

Niche portfolios convert because the visitor feels: “This is exactly my problem.”

9) The “learning in public” portfolio (best for beginners with no clients)

What it looks like: - Projects plus short write-ups

Write-ups to add: - “What I learned” - “What I would refactor” - “Bugs I fixed and how”

This proves you can think and improve.

10) The “interactive resume” portfolio (best for recruiters scanning fast)

What it looks like: - Resume layout, but clickable and modern

Include: - Experience timeline - Skills grouped by impact (not by buzzwords) - Projects linked to proof

11) The “results and metrics” portfolio (best for SEO and performance roles)

What it looks like: - Before and after stories

Metrics to show: - PageSpeed or Lighthouse score improvements - LCP/CLS changes - Conversion improvements (even a small uplift) - Support tickets reduced after a UX change

12) The “multi-language / regional” portfolio (best if you target specific markets)

If you serve multiple regions, add: - Language toggle (or separate pages) - Local proof: testimonials, local business examples - Local constraints: payment methods, content needs, compliance

Keep it simple: one strong language version is better than three weak ones.

Where to find real portfolio examples (quick inspiration sources)

If you want to browse real-world portfolios fast, use sources that stay updated:

• GitHub portfolio collections: great for seeing many styles in one place, plus the code behind them. Start here: Developer Portfolios (curated list).
• Design galleries: useful for layout ideas and UI patterns. Browse: Dribbble developer portfolio tag.
• Community threads: helpful for what real developers ship, not just “perfect” designs. Example: r/webdev portfolio thread.

Use these for inspiration, but keep your own portfolio simpler than what you bookmark. Clarity beats cleverness.

What to include in your portfolio (the conversion checklist)

If you only fix one thing, fix this: make your above-the-fold message obvious.

Above the fold (first screen)

• Headline: who you help and what you build
• One-line proof: “3 years building React and WordPress sites”
• Primary CTA: “Email me” or “Book a call”
• Secondary CTA: “See projects”

Projects section (2 to 6 projects)

For each project, include: - A screenshot - What you built (one sentence) - Your role (solo, team, freelance) - Stack (only what matters) - A link to live site and a link to code (if possible)

If you cannot share client code, share a sanitized demo or a technical write-up.

About section (short and useful)

Keep it practical: - What you are good at (2 to 3 bullets) - What you care about (quality, speed, accessibility, SEO) - How you work (planning, communication, delivery)

Contact section (make it frictionless)

Add: - Email link - Optional: a short form (name, email, message) - Optional: calendar link if you do freelance

What to avoid (these mistakes lose interviews)

• No context: screenshots with no explanation are weak proof.
• Too many projects: 3 strong projects beat 12 random ones.
• Buzzword stacking: list what you can ship, not every framework you touched.
• Slow loading: if your portfolio is slow, you are demonstrating a performance problem.
• No mobile polish: many reviewers open portfolios on phones.
• Broken links: nothing destroys trust faster.

Example project ideas (if you have “nothing to show” yet)

Choose projects that show real-world thinking:

• Client intake form + dashboard: form submission, admin view, statuses
• Job tracker: saved jobs, notes, reminders, CSV export
• Mini ecommerce: product list, cart, checkout UI (even without payments)
• Content site with SEO: blog, categories, sitemap, structured data
• Performance rebuild: clone a slow site and make it fast, then write a case study

Tip: one project with a clean case study can outperform five toy apps.

Publish your portfolio fast (Website Builder vs custom)

If you want a portfolio online today, you have two realistic paths:

If you want the simplest path, start with a website builder to publish your portfolio quickly. If you want your portfolio to double as proof of skill, build it yourself and deploy it cleanly.

Hosting tips (performance, reliability, and what to check)

Your portfolio is a performance demo. Even a beautiful site looks unprofessional if it is slow or unreliable.

When choosing web hosting for a portfolio website, check for:

• CPU/RAM limits: unpredictable resources cause random slowness
• Inode limits: strict inode caps can break builds and uploads (lots of small files)
• Modern stack: for WordPress portfolios, LiteSpeed + LSCache can help a lot
• Security: avoid providers pushing cracked control panels or nulled plugins, it is not worth the risk

If you are hosting a static portfolio (HTML/CSS/JS), prioritize uptime, TLS, caching, and fast global delivery.

FAQs

What should a web developer portfolio include?

A strong portfolio includes a clear headline, 2 to 6 projects with context (what you built, your role, the stack), a short about section, and an easy contact method. Add case studies when possible. Focus on clarity and proof, not quantity or buzzwords.

How many projects should be in a developer portfolio?

Most developers do best with 3 to 6 projects. Fewer projects is fine if each one is strong and well explained. Recruiters and clients scan quickly, so prioritize quality, variety of problems solved, and clean presentation over listing everything you have built.

Do I need a GitHub link on my portfolio?

It helps, but it is not mandatory. If your GitHub is clean and shows good READMEs, tests, and commit hygiene, link it. If most work is private, include a live demo, screenshots, and a short case study explaining decisions, tradeoffs, and results.

What makes a portfolio stand out to recruiters?

Clear positioning, fast loading pages, and strong project explanations. Recruiters want to understand your impact, not just your tools. Add one or two case studies with constraints and outcomes, show good communication, and remove distractions like broken links or long walls of text.

Should I use a website builder or code my portfolio?

Use a website builder if your main goal is launching fast and looking professional with minimal maintenance. Code your portfolio if you want it to be proof of engineering skill and you can keep it updated. Either way, make it fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to contact you.