Using ContentLayer with Next.js
Leveraging the power of ContentLayer to manage my blog content
4 min read
ContentLayer is effectively unmaintained. In its current state, the project cannot be used with next.js 14 due to dependency conflicts. You can see more info 
or some alternatives like .
There are that Netlify is working on a new version of ContentLayer, but no release date has been announced yet.
Contentlayer integrates your content with your code, enhancing efficiency and reducing bugs by separating website code from content. It works with front-end frameworks like and content from headless CMSs like Contentful and Sanity or local files.
Some of the uses of Contentlayer include transforming content into data, structuring loose data, and defining data types. For example:
Transforming Content into Data
Contentlayer's primary job is to transform your content into data that can be imported into the pages of your web project. To do that effectively, Contentlayer has to know the shape of your content — your content schema.
This is handled differently depending on whether you're working with a local source (Files) or a remote source. With remote sources — i.e. headless CMS — the content schema is pulled in automatically from the source's API. When using a local source, your schema must be explicitly defined so Contentlayer .
You can transform content from various sources into importable JavaScript files, enabling seamless integration with your code. This approach treats content as code, facilitating real-time updates and Content live reload should work out-of-the-box with Next.js when using the next-contentlayer plugin and importing your content directly in your page app/components..
You can for instance pull content from Notion and transform it into a JavaScript file that can be imported into your code and thus deal with as your content CMS.
Structuring Loose Data
External data sources typically have defined schemas, ensuring predictable data structures. For local files, Contentlayer allows schema definition, preventing code breakages and ensuring data consistency.
You can also define computed fields that are derived from the content, allowing you to create dynamic content that is updated in real-time. For example, you can define a computed field that calculates the reading time of a blog post based on the content length.
Defining Data Types
For TypeScript users, Contentlayer generates type definitions for content, allowing you to introspect data structure within your code, enhancing reliability akin to writing programmatic tests.
ContentLayer Concepts
Contentlayer is not a framework. It is a tool for processing content. Contentlayer can generally be considered a complement to most headless API-driven solutions today like , , and others.
Documents vs Nested
There are two types of objects — documents and nested (documents).
Documents are objects generated by Contentlayer, according to a document type definition. Think of a document type like a model or a table in a database. A document is then an instance of that model — i.e. the result of a database query.
Contentlayer writes documents to individual JSON files, which can then be imported into your project's pages.
Nested documents are objects that are embedded directly in a document. They are defined as nested types and are primarily used for repeatable shapes.
For example, suppose you had an SEO object that you wanted included on various models. You could define the nested document type once, and then use it within any model that requires it.
Content References
Just like in a database, content can be associated with other content. For example, a post document type can reference tag documents.