I decided to try out something new (to me) and have implemented the Netlify CMS into my site. This would be the first headless CMS that I have used and I wanted to jot down my thoughts.

Install and Set up

Installation and the initial setup were pretty easy. I am using Gatsby for the site generation and so used the Netlify tutorial as a starting off point. I was pleasantly surprised that it picked up all of my existing blog content and there were very few changes I needed to make to get it all up and running.

Editor

The editor is simple, but useful. There are some things I like about it and some that I am not thrilled with. That is usually the case and it is why I have typically created my posts in just a simple markdown editor. I think there are some changes that I can make and I might look into making it a little more to my liking.

Publishing

Publishing is quick and relatively painless. It adds the files to the repo which kicks off a build, so it is just takes the time for a new build to be deployed for the new content to appear. Not as fast as a database driven CMS, but it works and is quick when done.

Will I Use It?

Maybe. Since it is just as easy to create a new post and create a PR, I may continue with that path. Plus doing it manually gives me some extra control over the design. Things I can probably work into the editor later if I really want to. We shall see.