Build processes transform your source code into browser-ready JavaScript that WordPress can execute. Without proper builds, blocks become broken and unusable in both editor and frontend contexts.
Use “npm run start” for development with automatic file watching and rebuilding, and “npm run build” for optimized production builds. The start command enables rapid iteration while build creates optimized code for end users.
Development builds include debugging information and are larger, while production builds are minified and optimized for performance. Always use the appropriate build type for your deployment context.