The way we build websites has changed, dramatically.
Traditional content management systems (CMS) might've gotten the job done a decade ago, but let's be honest, they're starting to show their age.
These platforms often lock you into rigid structures, making it harder to scale, experiment, or adapt to new technologies. This inflexibility simply won't cut it for startups or tech teams aiming to disrupt industries.
Enter headless CMS solutions, where the backend and frontend go their separate ways. It's like unshackling your content from a one-size-fits-all template and giving it the freedom to grow, adapt, and integrate seamlessly.
When you combine a powerful frontend framework like Next.js with an API-driven CMS like Sanity, you create custom, scalable systems that deliver content exactly how and where you need it.
This matters because modern web apps demand speed, flexibility, and the ability to iterate rapidly. You need structured content models, developer-first workflows, and the ability to connect with users across multiple platforms.
Next.js and Sanity form a powerhouse duo for building apps that are both highly functional and truly future-ready.
To get started with integrating Next.js and Sanity, you'll first need to set up your development environment. Good news, this process is straightforward, even if it sounds a bit technical at first.
Kick off your Next.js project. Open your terminal and run npx create-next-app@latest. This initializes a fresh Next.js app, giving you a solid foundation with server-side rendering (SSR) and static site generation (SSG) baked in for top-tier performance and SEO.
Add Sanity Studio. Navigate into your project directory and enter npm create sanity@latest. Follow the prompts to create a new Sanity project. When asked, choose the embedded Studio option, and configure the route to /studio. This lets you manage your content directly within your Next.js app, super convenient when iterating quickly.
Fine-tune your Sanity setup. In your sanity.config.ts file, set the basePath to /studio. Then, ensure your schemas directory is ready for defining content. This is where you structure your data, making it reusable across pages, perfect for dynamic apps.
Run your dev server. Launch everything with npm run dev. Since you're using the embedded Studio, you'll find it at http://localhost:3000/studio. If you're running a standalone Studio with sanity start, it'll be available at http://localhost:3333.
It's satisfying to see everything coming together already.
Set up CORS. Head to your Sanity project settings and allow http://localhost:3000 under the CORS configuration. This step ensures your frontend can safely fetch content from your Sanity backend.
Design your content. In the schemas folder, define content types like blog posts or product pages. These schemas make your data consistent while empowering non-technical teammates to manage content without worrying about breaking things.
Connect Sanity to Next.js. Install the Sanity client with npm install @sanity/client. Then, configure a sanity.js file to handle API calls, pulling in your project details from environment variables. This configuration helps you fetch content seamlessly.
Fetch and display content. Use the Sanity client in your Next.js pages to query and render data. For example, you can fetch blog posts with a GROQ query like *[_type == "post"]. Combine this with Next.js's static generation for lightning-fast page loads.
By the time you're done, you'll have a fully functional content system that's fast, flexible, and ready to scale.
Thanks to Sanity's headless nature, your content stays flexible, ready to evolve alongside your app.
When working with Next.js and Sanity, the first step is setting up the Sanity client.
If you’re deciding which headless CMS is right for your startup, our guide on Choosing the Best Headless CMS: Sanity vs Contentful breaks down the pros and cons to help you choose.
By installing @sanity/client and configuring it with your projectId, dataset, and apiVersion, you'll have a direct connection to your content.
Don't forget to use environment variables for sensitive details like these, security should always be a priority.
Once your client is ready, you can start fetching content. Sanity's GROQ query language makes this straightforward. For instance, pulling all blog posts might look like this:
const posts = await client.fetch('*[_type == "post"]');
It's clean, efficient, and flexible, exactly what you need for dynamic apps.
To keep things tidy, separate your CMS configuration into its own file. This approach streamlines your project's structure and makes maintenance down the line much easier.
Next.js shines when it comes to displaying content on the frontend. With React components, you can render just about anything dynamically.
For rich text, Sanity's Portable Text is incredibly useful. It allows you to handle structured content effortlessly, whether it's a simple paragraph or a detailed article.
import { PortableText } from '@portabletext/react';
function Article({ content }) {
return <PortableText value={content} />;
}
Handling media is seamless with Next.js's Image component paired with Sanity's CDN. Add a quick domain configuration in next.config.js, and you're ready to serve optimized images without breaking a sweat.
And for the more complex stuff, like embedding code snippets or custom galleries, Sanity allows you to define custom components within Portable Text.
This gives you the freedom to craft interfaces that match your exact vision.
By combining Sanity's flexibility with Next.js's performance-first approach, you're set to build a web app that is both functional and exceptionally scalable.
And that's a wrap. Next.js and Sanity together give you a powerful toolkit for building fast, scalable, and future-proof web applications. From connecting these platforms to fetching and displaying dynamic content, every step makes your workflow more efficient and flexible.
With features like server-side rendering, static site generation, and incremental static regeneration, your site is optimized for users and primed for search engines, too.
Performance tweaks like Next.js's image optimization, paired with Sanity's automated workflows, give you an edge in managing content efficiently. And don't overlook how important it is to secure your setup with environment variables while keeping your SEO game strong with meta tags, sitemaps, and mobile responsiveness.
The outcome? A web app that's fast, user-friendly, and scalable enough to evolve with your business.
Stay in motion.
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