Patterns I use to keep a Next.js App Router project maintainable: strict TypeScript, CMS-driven content with Sanity, stable GROQ queries, and practical trade-offs when the CMS evolves faster than the code.
Content-driven apps fail when the schema evolves and the UI can’t keep up. My goal is to keep the app type-safe while still letting content authors move fast in Sanity.
- Define schemas with clear required fields and stable document IDs.
- Keep GROQ queries explicit and predictable.
- Use TypeScript to model “nullable content” safely.
- Prefer CMS truth over hardcoded fallback data.
- Handle missing fields gracefully (null checks) but fix content at the source.
- Add new fields via schema deploys, then backfill documents.
- Use CI/CD to catch type regressions early.
- Keep performance predictable by staying SSG where possible.