Next.js with Sanity/Strapi/Contentful: Building a Headless CMS

Step-by-Step Solution (with Code Examples) 

To build a headless CMS blog using Next.js with Sanity, Strapi, or Contentful, follow these steps: 

1. Set up a Next.js application using `npx create-next-app@latest my-blog`. 
2. Choose a Headless CMS: Configure Sanity, Strapi, or Contentful as your backend. 
3. Fetch content with APIs: Use REST or GraphQL queries to fetch blog posts. 
4. Render content in Next.js pages: Use `getStaticProps` or `getServerSideProps` for data fetching. 
5. Add dynamic routing for individual blog pages using `[slug].js`. 
6. Optimize SEO with `next/head` for metadata and Open Graph tags.

Example: Fetching data from Contentful in Next.js:[Text Wrapping Break][Text Wrapping Break]export async function getStaticProps() {[Text Wrapping Break]  const client = createClient({[Text Wrapping Break] space: process.env.CONTENTFUL_SPACE_ID,[Text Wrapping Break] accessToken: process.env.CONTENTFUL_ACCESS_TOKEN,[Text Wrapping Break]  });[Text Wrapping Break][Text Wrapping Break]  const res = await client.getEntries({ content_type: “blogPost” });[Text Wrapping Break][Text Wrapping Break]  return {[Text Wrapping Break] props: {[Text Wrapping Break]  posts: res.items,[Text Wrapping Break] },[Text Wrapping Break]  };[Text Wrapping Break]}[Text Wrapping Break] 

Best Practices / Recommendations 

• Use ISR for fresh content – Don’t rebuild the whole site for every change. 
• Secure environment variables – Never commit API keys. 
• Optimize images – Use Next.js <Image> for lazy loading and responsive sizes. 
• Content modeling – Keep schemas flexible for future use cases. 
• Caching and CDNs – Deliver static content globally for speed. 
• Accessibility first – Use semantic tags, alt text, and proper headings. 
• Analytics integration – Add Google Analytics or Plausible for insights. 
• Version control for content – Sanity supports structured revisions; use it for rollback safety.