How to Build a Website with a CMS and Next.js
IntermediateQuick Answer
TL;DR
To build a website with a CMS and Next.js, set up a headless CMS, scaffold a Next.js project, fetch content using Server Components (App Router) or `getStaticProps`/`getServerSideProps` (Pages Router), create dynamic routes with `generateStaticParams`, configure draft/preview mode, then deploy to Vercel. Next.js hybrid rendering — static, server, and edge — pairs perfectly with headless CMS delivery.
Key Takeaways
- App Router Server Components are the modern pattern: fetch CMS data directly in async components, no client JS needed
- Dynamic routes + `generateStaticParams` pre-render all CMS-driven pages at build time for maximum performance
- Preview/draft mode lets editors see unpublished content in the live Next.js frontend before publishing