Next.js CMS

Everything you need to know about pairing Next.js with a headless CMS for fast, flexible, SEO-friendly websites.

What Is a Next.js CMS?

A Next.js CMS refers to the pairing of Next.js—a powerful React framework—with a headless content management system. In this architecture, the CMS handles content storage and management (the "back end"), while Next.js handles rendering and presentation (the "front end"). The two communicate via APIs, giving you the best of both worlds: robust content management and modern, high-performance web delivery.

This decoupled approach has become the standard for teams building fast, scalable websites that need to deliver content across multiple channels—web, mobile apps, IoT devices, and more.

Why Next.js for Headless CMS?

Next.js has become the go-to framework for headless CMS implementations. Here's why:

Flexible Rendering Options

Next.js supports multiple rendering strategies, allowing you to optimize for different content types:

• Server-Side Rendering (SSR) generates pages on each request—ideal for dynamic content that changes frequently or requires real-time data. Content is always fresh, and search engines see fully rendered HTML.
• Static Site Generation (SSG) pre-builds pages at deploy time for lightning-fast delivery from a CDN. Perfect for content that doesn't change often, like marketing pages or documentation.
• Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) combines the best of both: static pages that automatically refresh in the background after a set interval. You get static performance with near-real-time content updates—no full rebuild required.
• React Server Components reduce client-side JavaScript, improving initial load times and Core Web Vitals scores.

SEO Advantages

Search engines get fully rendered HTML from the start—no waiting for JavaScript to execute. This means better indexing, improved Core Web Vitals (FCP, LCP), and stronger organic rankings.

Developer Experience

Built on React with TypeScript support, excellent documentation, and a massive ecosystem. Developers can use familiar tools while gaining powerful features like API routes, image optimization, and built-in routing.

Performance at Scale

With CDN-first architecture and intelligent caching, Next.js sites handle traffic spikes gracefully while maintaining sub-second load times.

Read more on A headless CMS should bridge the gap between developer freedom and editorial autonomy, ensuring that neither team becomes a bottleneck for the other.

How Next.js Works with a Headless CMS

The integration follows a straightforward pattern:

1. Content lives in the CMS – Editors create and manage content through the CMS interface
2. Next.js fetches via API – At build time or request time, Next.js pulls content through REST or GraphQL APIs
3. Pages render with fresh content – Next.js generates optimized HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
4. Updates trigger revalidation – Webhooks from the CMS can trigger on-demand page regeneration via ISR

This separation means content teams work independently from developers, and updates can go live without code deployments.

Best CMS for Next.js: Top Options Compared

Here are the leading headless CMS platforms for Next.js projects, each with distinct strengths:

Drupal (Headless)

Drupal has evolved into a powerful headless CMS with built-in JSON:API support and optional GraphQL. Its robust permission system, multilingual capabilities, and structured content modeling make it ideal for complex enterprise requirements.

• Best for: Large organizations with complex content models, multilingual needs, and strict security requirements
• Next.js integration: The next-drupal package provides a powerful client for fetching JSON:API resources, with support for authentication, preview mode, and ISR revalidation
• Key strengths: Enterprise-grade security, extensive module ecosystem (40,000+ contributed modules), mature content workflows, strong compliance capabilities

Sanity

A developer-first CMS with real-time collaboration and a customizable React-based editing studio. Content is treated as structured data, queryable via GROQ (Sanity's query language) or GraphQL.

• Best for: Teams wanting maximum schema flexibility and real-time collaborative editing
• Key strengths: Real-time updates, customizable studio, powerful querying, generous free tier

Storyblok

Combines headless architecture with a true visual editor. Content teams can edit directly on the page while developers maintain full control over the frontend.

• Best for: Marketing teams who want visual editing without sacrificing developer flexibility
• Key strengths: Visual editor, component-based approach, excellent App Router support, built-in Draft Mode integration

Contentful

A cloud-native CMS trusted by enterprises for scaling content across regions and teams. Strong API capabilities, AI features, and built-in personalization tools.

• Best for: Large enterprises managing multi-brand, multi-region content operations
• Key strengths: Powerful APIs, extensive integration marketplace, enterprise features (SSO, audit logs), global CDN

Strapi

The leading open-source headless CMS, built with Node.js. Offers both REST and GraphQL APIs with full customization capabilities. Can be self-hosted or run on Strapi Cloud.

• Best for: Teams wanting open-source control, self-hosting options, and deep customization
• Key strengths: Open source, self-hosting capability, customizable admin panel, active community

Payload CMS

A TypeScript-based, open-source CMS that runs directly inside your Next.js application. No separate backend required—your CMS and frontend share the same codebase.

• Best for: Developers wanting tight integration and full code ownership
• Key strengths: Runs inside Next.js, TypeScript-first, open source, no vendor lock-in

Prismic

A slice-based CMS with visual editing and reusable content sections. Designed to reduce developer involvement in routine content updates.

• Best for: Marketing sites and teams wanting to empower non-technical editors
• Key strengths: Slice-based architecture, visual editing, strong Next.js integration

What to Look for in a CMS for Next.js

When evaluating a headless CMS for your Next.js project, prioritize these capabilities:

ISR and Revalidation Support

The CMS should support webhooks that trigger on-demand revalidation in Next.js. This keeps content fresh without full rebuilds—essential for sites with frequent updates.

Preview and Draft Mode

Content editors need to preview changes before publishing. Look for CMSs with tested Draft Mode integration for the Next.js App Router.

API Performance

Your CMS API speed directly impacts build times and SSR response times. Evaluate CDN delivery, query efficiency, and rate limits.

Content Modeling Flexibility

Can you structure content the way your project needs? Look for support for relationships, nested content, localization, and custom fields.

Editorial Experience

A CMS is only useful if content teams actually use it. Evaluate the editing interface, workflow capabilities, and learning curve.

Scalability and Reliability

For production sites, consider uptime SLAs, global CDN presence, and how the CMS handles traffic spikes.

Next.js and Drupal: A Powerful Combination

For enterprise organizations, the combination of Drupal and Next.js has emerged as a particularly compelling solution. Drupal's mature content management capabilities pair perfectly with Next.js's modern frontend performance.

Why Drupal + Next.js Works

Robust Content Management: Drupal handles complex content models, workflows, and permissions that simpler CMSs can't match.

API-First Architecture: Drupal's core includes JSON:API support, with GraphQL available via contributed modules. Content is accessible to any frontend.

Enterprise Features: Built-in multilingual support, granular permissions, revision history, and content moderation workflows.

Security and Compliance: Drupal's security track record and compliance capabilities (GDPR, accessibility) meet enterprise requirements.

Instant Updates: With ISR, content changes in Drupal appear on the Next.js frontend within seconds—no rebuild required.

Getting Started with Next.js for Drupal

The next-drupal package simplifies integration:

// Fetch content from Drupal const article = await drupal.getResource( "node--article", "907034d4-ab35-4949-84e4-d2b7afed82df" ) // Fetch a collection const articles = await drupal.getResourceCollection("node--article") // Fetch a menu const mainMenu = await drupal.getMenu("main")

The package handles authentication, caching, preview mode, and ISR revalidation—letting you focus on building great experiences rather than API plumbing.

Implementation Best Practices

Choose Your Rendering Strategy Wisely

• SSG for stable content (landing pages, documentation)
• ISR for content that updates regularly (blog posts, product pages)
• SSR for highly dynamic or personalized content

Most projects benefit from mixing strategies based on each page's requirements.

Set Up Preview Mode

Content editors need to see changes before publishing. Configure Draft Mode to fetch unpublished content from your CMS during preview sessions.

Implement On-Demand Revalidation

Rather than time-based revalidation alone, set up webhooks from your CMS to trigger revalidation when content changes. This provides near-instant updates with static performance.

Optimize Images

Use Next.js Image Optimization with your CMS's image URLs. Configure remotePatterns in next.config.js to allow images from your CMS domain.

Handle Errors Gracefully

API calls can fail. Implement proper error boundaries and fallback content to ensure your site remains functional even when the CMS is temporarily unavailable.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Build Times with Large Sites

Challenge: Sites with thousands of pages can have long build times with pure SSG.

Solution: Use ISR with dynamicParams to generate only the most important pages at build time. Other pages generate on first request and are then cached.

Preview and Production Parity

Challenge: Preview content looks different from production.

Solution: Use the same components and styling for preview and production. Next.js Draft Mode makes this straightforward.

Content Model Changes

Challenge: CMS schema changes can break the frontend.

Solution: Use TypeScript for type safety, implement schema validation, and test against staging environments before production deploys.

Multi-Environment Setup

Challenge: Managing development, staging, and production environments.

Solution: Use environment variables for CMS endpoints and configure separate preview sites for each environment in your CMS.

The Future of Next.js CMS

Several trends are shaping how Next.js and headless CMS work together:

• React Server Components reduce client-side JavaScript and enable new patterns for data fetching directly in components.
• Partial Prerendering (PPR) blends static and dynamic content on the same page—static shells with streaming dynamic sections.
• AI-Powered Content – CMS platforms are integrating AI for content generation, translation, and optimization.
• Edge Rendering – Computing closer to users for even faster dynamic content delivery.
• Visual Editing – More CMSs are offering visual, on-page editing that works seamlessly with Next.js preview modes.

Acquia and Drupal: Enterprise-Grade Headless CMS

For organizations seeking an enterprise-ready headless CMS solution with Next.js, Acquia's Drupal platform offers a compelling option.

Drupal Starter Kits provide pre-configured setups including a Next.js starter kit that handles OAuth authentication, preview configuration, and consumer setup automatically.

Acquia Cloud Platform delivers fully managed Drupal hosting optimized for headless architectures, with built-in CDN, security, and scalability.

Enterprise Support ensures you have expert assistance for complex implementations, security requirements, and performance optimization.

The combination gives you Drupal's content management power with Next.js's frontend performance—backed by enterprise-grade infrastructure and support.

Key Takeaways

• Next.js + headless CMS is the modern standard for fast, flexible, SEO-friendly websites
• Rendering flexibility (SSG, SSR, ISR) lets you optimize for different content types
• Top CMS options include Drupal, Sanity, Storyblok, Contentful, Strapi, and Payload—each with distinct strengths
• Drupal + Next.js is particularly powerful for enterprise requirements: complex content models, multilingual needs, and strict security
• ISR and webhooks enable near-instant content updates without sacrificing static performance
• Choose based on your needs: editorial experience, developer flexibility, hosting preferences, and scale requirements

Ready to build your next headless project? Evaluate your content requirements, editorial workflows, and technical needs—then choose the CMS that best fits your Next.js architecture.

For enterprise teams considering Drupal as their headless CMS, explore Acquia's Drupal Starter Kits to accelerate your Next.js integration.