---
name: cms
description: Headless CMS integration guidance — Sanity (native Vercel Marketplace), Contentful, DatoCMS, Storyblok, and Builder.io. Covers studio setup, content modeling, preview mode, revalidation webhooks, and Visual Editing. Use when building content-driven sites with a headless CMS on Vercel.
metadata:
priority: 4
docs:
- "https://vercel.com/docs/solutions/cms"
- "https://nextjs.org/docs/app/building-your-application/data-fetching"
sitemap: "https://vercel.com/sitemap/docs.xml"
pathPatterns:
- 'sanity.config.*'
- 'sanity.cli.*'
- 'sanity/**'
- 'studio/**'
- 'schemas/*.ts'
- 'schemas/*.tsx'
- 'src/sanity/**'
- 'lib/sanity.*'
- 'src/lib/sanity.*'
- 'lib/contentful.*'
- 'src/lib/contentful.*'
- 'app/api/draft/**'
- 'src/app/api/draft/**'
- 'app/api/revalidate/**'
- 'src/app/api/revalidate/**'
- 'app/studio/**'
- 'src/app/studio/**'
bashPatterns:
- '\bnpm\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*@sanity/client\b'
- '\bpnpm\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*@sanity/client\b'
- '\bbun\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*@sanity/client\b'
- '\byarn\s+add\s+[^\n]*@sanity/client\b'
- '\bnpm\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*\bnext-sanity\b'
- '\bpnpm\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*\bnext-sanity\b'
- '\bbun\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*\bnext-sanity\b'
- '\byarn\s+add\s+[^\n]*\bnext-sanity\b'
- '\bnpm\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*\bcontentful\b'
- '\bpnpm\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*\bcontentful\b'
- '\bbun\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*\bcontentful\b'
- '\byarn\s+add\s+[^\n]*\bcontentful\b'
- '\bnpm\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*@builder\.io/sdk\b'
- '\bpnpm\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*@builder\.io/sdk\b'
- '\bbun\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*@builder\.io/sdk\b'
- '\byarn\s+add\s+[^\n]*@builder\.io/sdk\b'
- '\bnpm\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*@storyblok/\b'
- '\bpnpm\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*@storyblok/\b'
- '\bbun\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*@storyblok/\b'
- '\byarn\s+add\s+[^\n]*@storyblok/\b'
- '\bnpm\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*datocms-client\b'
- '\bpnpm\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*datocms-client\b'
- '\bbun\s+(install|i|add)\s+[^\n]*datocms-client\b'
- '\byarn\s+add\s+[^\n]*datocms-client\b'
- '\bnpx\s+create-sanity\b'
- '\bnpx\s+sanity\s+init\b'
---
# Headless CMS Integration
You are an expert in integrating headless CMS platforms with Vercel-deployed applications — covering Sanity (native Vercel Marketplace), Contentful, DatoCMS, Storyblok, and Builder.io.
## Sanity (Native Vercel Marketplace Integration)
Sanity is the primary CMS integration on the Vercel Marketplace with first-class Visual Editing support.
### Install via Marketplace
```bash
# Install Sanity from Vercel Marketplace (auto-provisions env vars)
vercel integration add sanity
```
Auto-provisioned environment variables:
- `SANITY_PROJECT_ID` — Sanity project identifier
- `SANITY_DATASET` — dataset name (usually `production`)
- `SANITY_API_TOKEN` — read/write API token
- `NEXT_PUBLIC_SANITY_PROJECT_ID` — client-side project ID
- `NEXT_PUBLIC_SANITY_DATASET` — client-side dataset name
### SDK Setup
```bash
# Install Sanity packages for Next.js
npm install next-sanity @sanity/client @sanity/image-url
# For embedded studio (optional)
npm install sanity @sanity/vision
```
### Client Configuration
```ts
// lib/sanity.ts
import { createClient } from "next-sanity";
export const client = createClient({
projectId: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SANITY_PROJECT_ID!,
dataset: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SANITY_DATASET!,
apiVersion: "2026-03-01",
useCdn: true,
});
```
### Content Schema
```ts
// schemas/post.ts
import { defineType, defineField } from "sanity";
export const post = defineType({
name: "post",
title: "Post",
type: "document",
fields: [
defineField({ name: "title", type: "string" }),
defineField({ name: "slug", type: "slug", options: { source: "title" } }),
defineField({ name: "body", type: "array", of: [{ type: "block" }] }),
defineField({ name: "mainImage", type: "image", options: { hotspot: true } }),
defineField({ name: "publishedAt", type: "datetime" }),
],
});
```
### Embedded Studio (App Router)
```ts
// app/studio/[[...tool]]/page.tsx
"use client";
import { NextStudio } from "next-sanity/studio";
import config from "@/sanity.config";
export default function StudioPage() {
return ;
}
```
```ts
// sanity.config.ts
import { defineConfig } from "sanity";
import { structureTool } from "sanity/structure";
import { visionTool } from "@sanity/vision";
import { post } from "./schemas/post";
export default defineConfig({
name: "default",
title: "My Studio",
projectId: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SANITY_PROJECT_ID!,
dataset: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SANITY_DATASET!,
plugins: [structureTool(), visionTool()],
schema: { types: [post] },
});
```
### Live Content with `defineLive()` (next-sanity v12)
Use `defineLive()` for automatic real-time content updates without manual revalidation. In next-sanity v11+, `defineLive` must be imported from the `next-sanity/live` subpath:
```ts
// lib/sanity.ts
import { createClient } from "next-sanity";
import { defineLive } from "next-sanity/live";
const client = createClient({
projectId: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SANITY_PROJECT_ID!,
dataset: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SANITY_DATASET!,
apiVersion: "2026-03-01",
useCdn: true,
});
export const { sanityFetch, SanityLive } = defineLive({
client,
// Required for draft content in Visual Editing — use a Viewer role token
serverToken: process.env.SANITY_API_TOKEN,
// Optional but recommended for faster live preview
browserToken: process.env.SANITY_BROWSER_TOKEN,
});
```
```tsx
// app/page.tsx
import { sanityFetch, SanityLive } from "@/lib/sanity";
export default async function Page() {
const { data: posts } = await sanityFetch({ query: `*[_type == "post"]` });
return (
<>
{posts.map((post) =>
{post.title}
)}
>
);
}
```
> **Breaking change in v12**: `defineLive({fetchOptions: {revalidate}})` has been removed. `defineLive({stega})` is deprecated.
### Visual Editing (Presentation Mode)
Sanity Visual Editing lets content editors click-to-edit content directly on the live site preview. Requires Sanity Studio v5+ (React 19.2) and `@sanity/visual-editing` v5+.
```bash
npm install @sanity/visual-editing
```
In next-sanity v11+, `VisualEditing` must be imported from the `next-sanity/visual-editing` subpath:
```ts
// app/layout.tsx
import { VisualEditing } from "next-sanity/visual-editing";
import { draftMode } from "next/headers";
export default async function RootLayout({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
const { isEnabled } = await draftMode();
return (
{children}
{isEnabled && }
);
}
```
### On-Demand Revalidation Webhook
```ts
// app/api/revalidate/route.ts
import { revalidateTag } from "next/cache";
import { parseBody } from "next-sanity/webhook";
export async function POST(req: Request) {
const { isValidSignature, body } = await parseBody<{
_type: string;
slug?: { current?: string };
}>(req, process.env.SANITY_REVALIDATE_SECRET);
if (!isValidSignature) {
return Response.json({ message: "Invalid signature" }, { status: 401 });
}
if (body?._type) {
revalidateTag(body._type);
}
return Response.json({ revalidated: true, now: Date.now() });
}
```
Configure the webhook in Sanity at **Settings → API → Webhooks** pointing to `https://your-site.vercel.app/api/revalidate`.
## Contentful
```bash
npm install contentful
```
```ts
// lib/contentful.ts
import { createClient } from "contentful";
export const contentful = createClient({
space: process.env.CONTENTFUL_SPACE_ID!,
accessToken: process.env.CONTENTFUL_ACCESS_TOKEN!,
});
```
### Fetching Entries
```ts
// app/page.tsx
import { contentful } from "@/lib/contentful";
export default async function Page() {
const entries = await contentful.getEntries({ content_type: "blogPost" });
return (
{entries.items.map((entry) => (
- {entry.fields.title as string}
))}
);
}
```
## Draft Mode (Preview)
All CMS integrations should use Next.js Draft Mode for preview:
```ts
// app/api/draft/route.ts
import { draftMode } from "next/headers";
export async function GET(req: Request) {
const { searchParams } = new URL(req.url);
const secret = searchParams.get("secret");
if (secret !== process.env.DRAFT_SECRET) {
return Response.json({ message: "Invalid token" }, { status: 401 });
}
const draft = await draftMode();
draft.enable();
const slug = searchParams.get("slug") ?? "/";
return Response.redirect(new URL(slug, req.url));
}
```
## Environment Variables
| Variable | Scope | CMS | Description |
|----------|-------|-----|-------------|
| `SANITY_PROJECT_ID` / `NEXT_PUBLIC_SANITY_PROJECT_ID` | Server / Client | Sanity | Project identifier |
| `SANITY_DATASET` / `NEXT_PUBLIC_SANITY_DATASET` | Server / Client | Sanity | Dataset name |
| `SANITY_API_TOKEN` | Server | Sanity | Read/write token |
| `SANITY_REVALIDATE_SECRET` | Server | Sanity | Webhook secret for revalidation |
| `CONTENTFUL_SPACE_ID` | Server | Contentful | Space identifier |
| `CONTENTFUL_ACCESS_TOKEN` | Server | Contentful | Delivery API token |
| `CONTENTFUL_PREVIEW_TOKEN` | Server | Contentful | Preview API token |
| `DATOCMS_API_TOKEN` | Server | DatoCMS | Read-only API token |
## Cross-References
- **Marketplace install and env var provisioning** → `⤳ skill: marketplace`
- **On-demand revalidation and caching** → `⤳ skill: runtime-cache`
- **Draft mode and middleware patterns** → `⤳ skill: routing-middleware`
- **Environment variable management** → `⤳ skill: env-vars`
- **Image optimization** → `⤳ skill: nextjs`
## Official Documentation
- [Sanity + Vercel Marketplace](https://vercel.com/marketplace/sanity)
- [next-sanity Documentation](https://github.com/sanity-io/next-sanity) (v12)
- [next-sanity v11→v12 Migration](https://github.com/sanity-io/next-sanity/releases)
- [Sanity Visual Editing](https://www.sanity.io/docs/visual-editing)
- [Contentful JavaScript SDK](https://www.contentful.com/developers/docs/javascript/)
- [Next.js Draft Mode](https://nextjs.org/docs/app/building-your-application/configuring/draft-mode)