Course Overview
This 3-day course introduces developers to the modern approach of decoupling content management from the frontend using Headless CMSs (like Strapi, Contentful, or Sanity) and Static Site Generators (SSGs) like Next.js, Gatsby, or Hugo. Participants will learn how to fetch dynamic content at build time, improve performance with pre-rendering, and deploy blazing-fast, scalable websites using JAMstack principles.
Duration: 3 Days
Format: Instructor-led, hands-on coding workshops, CMS configuration, static site development, and deployment exercises
Description
Course Outline
? Day 1: Foundations of Headless Architecture
Session 1: Introduction to Headless CMS & JAMstack
- What is a headless CMS?
- Traditional CMS vs Headless CMS
- JAMstack architecture overview: JavaScript, APIs, Markup
Session 2: Setting Up a Headless CMS
- Choosing a headless CMS: Strapi, Contentful, Sanity, etc.
- Creating content types and entries
- Understanding APIs: REST vs GraphQL
Session 3: Integrating Headless CMS with Static Sites
- Fetching content with API keys
- Content modeling best practices
- Caching and revalidation concepts
Lab Activities:
- Set up a Strapi or Contentful CMS with content models
- Populate and query content via REST or GraphQL
- Test API calls from Postman or directly in code
? Day 2: Static Site Generation with Modern Frameworks
Session 1: Introduction to Static Site Generators (SSG)
- Benefits of static sites: performance, security, SEO
- Overview of SSG tools: Next.js, Gatsby, Hugo, Astro
- Choosing the right SSG for your needs
Session 2: Building with Next.js or Gatsby
- File-based routing and dynamic paths
- getStaticProps / getStaticPaths (Next.js)
- GraphQL in Gatsby with source plugins
Session 3: Rendering Strategies and Preview Mode
- Static Generation (SSG) vs Server-Side Rendering (SSR)
- Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) in Next.js
- Previewing draft content from Headless CMS
Lab Activities:
- Create a blog or portfolio site using static generation
- Connect CMS content to your frontend using API/GraphQL
- Implement ISR or preview mode for content editors
? Day 3: Deployment, Optimization, and Best Practices
Session 1: Optimizing Static Sites
- Image optimization and lazy loading
- SEO and metadata handling
- Performance monitoring with Lighthouse
Session 2: Deployment Strategies
- Hosting on Netlify, Vercel, or GitHub Pages
- CI/CD pipelines for static sites
- Environment variables and CMS access in production
Session 3: Advanced Use Cases and Scalability
- Handling multilingual content
- Building e-commerce with headless CMS
- Managing permissions and webhooks for real-time updates
Lab Activities:
- Deploy your site to Netlify or Vercel
- Add responsive images and Lighthouse performance optimizations
- Set up webhooks for rebuilds when content updates
