Payload CMS + Jamstack Platform

A super-powered, WordPress-like headless CMS with modular frontends — built for rapid multi-project deployment.

Deploy once. Re-use everywhere. This platform gives you a production-ready Payload CMS with 20+ content blocks, a full block library, 16+ collection types, and one-command setup.

Note: The one-click deploy button requires the Railway template to be published first. See RAILWAY_TEMPLATE_SETUP.md for instructions. For manual deployment, see DEPLOY_TO_RAILWAY.md.

Quick Start

Local Development (Recommended)

# 1. Clone
git clone https://github.com/OpaceDigitalAgency/headless-cms.git
cd headless-cms

# 2. One-command setup (installs deps, starts Postgres, runs migrations, seeds, starts server)
make quickstart

Then visit http://localhost:3000/admin/create-first-user to create your admin account.

Once logged in: go to the Dashboard → 🌱 Sample Data Manager and click Seed All to populate all collections with example content.

Manual Steps (if you prefer control)

make env-setup       # Copy .env.example → .env
make install         # Install all dependencies
make db-up           # Start PostgreSQL via Docker
make db-migrate      # Run all database migrations
make dev             # Start CMS dev server at http://localhost:3000

Then seed via the admin dashboard, or run:

make db-seed         # CLI seed (optional)

Railway / Production

Push to GitHub → Railway auto-deploys via the start.sh boot script, which:

Runs Payload migrations
Ensures all required tables exist (including feature_settings)
Starts the Next.js server

What You Get

Feature	Detail
16+ Collection Types	Pages, Posts, Events, People, Places, Locations, FAQs, Testimonials, Logo Clouds, Block Library, Global Blocks, and more
20+ Content Blocks	Hero, CTA, Features, Stats, Gallery, FAQ, Testimonials, Team, Timeline, Pricing, Grid, Form, Embed, and more
Block Library	10 pre-seeded reusable block templates (TRC-inspired: Hero, Trust Bar, 10 Reasons, Testimonials Carousel, CTA Banner, Process Steps, Stats Row, Gallery, FAQ Section, Team Section)
Feature Settings	Admin-controlled feature flags — enable/disable module groups without code changes
Dynamic Content Types	Create custom content types (e.g. "Classic Cars") from the admin UI — no code or restarts
Sample Data Manager	Collapsible dashboard panel to seed, re-seed, or clear all sample data per collection
Two-Panel Admin Nav	Custom collapsible sidebar with icon navigation and section grouping
Dual Frontend Support	Next.js 15 (ISR) and Astro 4 (SSG) included
Railway-Ready	`start.sh` handles migrations + safety checks on every boot
S3 Storage	Local or S3-compatible file storage with signed URLs
Version History	Full version control on all content collections

Built-in Collections

These collections are ready to use out of the box:

Core Content

Collection	Slug	Description
Pages	`pages`	Block-based pages with 20+ blocks
Posts	`posts`	Blog / news articles
Categories	`categories`	Taxonomy for posts and content
Tags	`tags`	Additional taxonomy
Media	`media`	Images, files, and uploads

Extended Content

Collection	Slug	Description
Events	`events`	Calendar events with type, date, and location
People	`people`	Team members, historical figures, staff
Places	`places`	Geographical or physical locations with coordinates
Locations	`locations`	Site/branch locations with opening hours and contact
Archive Items	`archive-items`	Museum/archive catalogue items
FAQs	`faqs`	Q&A pairs with category grouping
Testimonials	`testimonials`	Reviews with rating, author, and company
Logo Clouds	`logo-clouds`	Groups of logos with links

Content Management

Collection	Slug	Description
Block Library	`block-library`	Named, reusable block instances for use across pages
Global Blocks	`global-blocks`	Site-wide reusable content sections
Content Types	`content-types`	Dynamic content type definitions
Custom Items	`custom-items`	Instances of dynamic content types
Forms	`forms`	Form builder forms
Users	`users`	Admin and editor accounts
Redirects	`redirects`	URL redirect rules

Globals (Settings Pages)

Global	Slug	Description
Header	`header`	Navigation and branding
Footer	`footer`	Footer links and copyright
Site Settings	`settings`	Site name, description, integrations
SEO Settings	`seo-settings`	Global SEO defaults
Admin Navigation	`navigation-settings`	Control which collections appear in the sidebar
Feature Settings	`feature-settings`	Enable/disable feature modules (no code required)

Content Blocks

All page types support these pre-built blocks:

Block	Description
Hero	Full-width hero with heading, subheading, image, overlay, and CTAs
Content	Rich text with optional column layouts
CTA	Call-to-action banner with buttons and background colour
Features	Icon + text feature grid (supports TRC variants: trust bar, 10 reasons, process steps)
Stats	Key metrics row with value, label, and description
Testimonials	Quote cards with star ratings (supports carousel and grid variants)
FAQ	Collapsible Q&A accordion
Team	Staff cards with avatar, bio, and social links
Gallery	Image grid with lightbox (supports 2, 3, 4 columns + captions)
Pricing	Pricing tier cards with feature lists and featured plan highlight
Grid	Flexible card grid for features, solutions, or any repeating content
Timeline	Chronological event display (vertical or horizontal)
Logo Cloud	Brand or partner logo grid
Archive	Auto-populated listing from any collection
Form	Form builder integration
Embed	Responsive iframe (YouTube, maps, etc.)
Quote	Pull quote with attribution
Media	Single image or video with caption
Spacer / Divider	Vertical spacing and separator lines
Custom HTML	Raw HTML for advanced use

Block Library

The Block Library (/admin/collections/block-library) stores named, reusable block instances. Instead of rebuilding a "Main CTA" or "10 Reasons" section on every page, you save it once and reference it via sharedBlocks on any page.

10 pre-seeded templates (available after running Seed All):

Name	Block Type	Based On
Hero — Full Width with Overlay	`hero`	TRC full-width dark-overlay hero with trust bar items
Trust Bar — Key Credentials	`features`	TRC horizontal trust strip (4 items, icons)
10 Reasons to Visit	`features`	TRC "10 Reasons" numbered dark grid
Testimonials — Verified Reviews Carousel	`testimonials`	TRC 3-column verified reviews
CTA — Primary Banner	`cta`	Accent background with dual CTA buttons
Process Steps — How It Works	`features`	TRC 4-step horizontal process
Stats Row — Key Numbers	`stats`	4-stat headline row
Gallery — Photo Grid	`gallery`	3-column lightbox gallery
FAQ Section — Visitor Questions	`faq`	4-item accordion FAQ
Team Section — Meet the Curators	`team`	3-person team card grid

Feature Settings

Navigate to Settings → Feature Settings to enable or disable feature modules:

✅ Pages
✅ Blog Posts
✅ FAQs
✅ Testimonials
✅ People & Team Members
✅ Events
✅ Locations
✅ Block Library & Global Blocks

Changes here drive CMS visibility. To enable eCommerce (Products, Orders, Shop), follow the instructions on the Feature Settings page.

Admin UI

Sample Data Manager

The dashboard includes a collapsible Sample Data Manager panel. On a fresh install (empty CMS), it auto-expands. Once data exists, it collapses to avoid clutter. Use it to:

Seed — populate a collection with example content
Re-seed — clear and re-populate
Delete — remove all sample data

Custom Dashboard

Collection counts at a glance (all 16+ collections)
Recent updates list
Drafts needing review
Quick create buttons
Site configuration shortcuts

Navigation

Organised sidebar sections: Collections, Content, Forms, Media, Settings, Admin
Controlled via the Admin Navigation global — customise what appears without code changes

Project Structure

headless-cms/
├── apps/
│   ├── cms/                         # Payload CMS (Next.js 15)
│   │   ├── src/
│   │   │   ├── admin/               # Custom admin UI (Dashboard, icons, views)
│   │   │   ├── blocks/              # Block schema definitions
│   │   │   ├── collections/         # Collection configs (16+ collections)
│   │   │   ├── components/          # React components (SeedDataManager, etc.)
│   │   │   ├── endpoints/           # Custom API endpoints (navigation, seed, tools)
│   │   │   ├── globals/             # Global configs (Header, Footer, FeatureSettings)
│   │   │   ├── lib/                 # Utilities (navigationConfig, transformBlockUrls)
│   │   │   └── seed/                # Seed data (seed-data.ts covers all collections)
│   │   ├── start.sh                 # Railway/Docker startup script
│   │   └── package.json
│   ├── web/                         # Next.js frontend
│   └── astro/                       # Astro SSG frontend
├── apps/db/migrations/              # Drizzle migration files
├── packages/
│   ├── shared/                      # Shared types & utilities
│   ├── ui/                          # Shared UI components
│   └── templates/                   # Page templates
├── scripts/                         # Automation scripts
├── Makefile                         # All commands
├── docker-compose.yml               # Local PostgreSQL
└── .env.example                     # Environment variable template

Makefile Commands

Getting Started

Command	Description
`make quickstart`	One command: installs, starts Postgres, migrates, seeds, and starts dev server
`make setup`	Setup only: copies .env + installs dependencies
`make env-setup`	Copy `.env.example` → `.env` and create CMS symlink
`make install`	Install all pnpm dependencies

Development

Command	Description
`make dev`	Start all services in development mode
`make dev-cms`	Start CMS only
`make dev-fresh`	Start CMS dev server (no push mode)
`make dev-astro`	Start Astro frontend only

Database

Command	Description
`make db-up`	Start PostgreSQL via Docker
`make db-down`	Stop PostgreSQL
`make db-migrate`	Run Payload migrations (standard)
`make db-seed`	Seed database from CLI
`make db-reset`	Drop all tables and re-migrate (interactive)
`make db-fresh`	Quick dev reset — drops volume, recreates DB, push mode on first boot
`make db-fresh-migrations`	Full reset: drops volume, regenerates migration files, runs them (for production)
`make db-studio`	Open Drizzle Studio (visual DB browser)

Seeding

Command	Description
`make db-seed`	Seed all collections with sample data
`make seed-blog`	Seed blog-specific sample data
`make seed-archive`	Seed archive-specific sample data
`make seed-ecommerce`	Seed ecommerce-specific sample data
`make seed-with-media`	Seed with Unsplash sample images

Build & Deploy

Command	Description
`make build`	Build all packages for production
`make build-cms`	Build CMS only
`make build-astro`	Build Astro frontend
`make railway-deploy`	Deploy to Railway
`make railway-logs`	View Railway logs

Utilities

Command	Description
`make generate-secret`	Generate a random `PAYLOAD_SECRET`
`make generate-types`	Regenerate Payload TypeScript types
`make lint`	Run ESLint
`make typecheck`	TypeScript type check
`make format`	Format with Prettier
`make clean`	Remove all build artefacts and node_modules

Deployment

Railway (Recommended)

Push to GitHub — Railway auto-deploys on merge to main
On first deploy, set FRESH_INSTALL=true in Railway env vars to auto-create schema on boot
Add admin user at yourdomain.com/admin/create-first-user
Seed sample data via the admin dashboard

Required environment variables:

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://...
PAYLOAD_SECRET=your-32-char-secret
PAYLOAD_PUBLIC_SERVER_URL=https://yourdomain.com
NODE_ENV=production

Boot Sequence (start.sh)

Every deploy runs these steps automatically:

Runs Payload migrations (if AUTO_MIGRATE=true, the default)
Ensures feature_settings table exists (idempotent SQL safety check)
Starts the Next.js production server

This means Feature Settings and all admin globals are guaranteed to work on first boot with zero manual SQL.

Environment Variables

Variable	Where Used	Description
`DATABASE_URL`	CMS + Web	PostgreSQL connection string
`PAYLOAD_SECRET`	CMS	32+ char secret for JWT signing
`PAYLOAD_PUBLIC_SERVER_URL`	CMS	Public CMS URL (e.g. `https://cms.yourdomain.com`)
`PUBLIC_CMS_URL`	Astro	CMS URL for REST API fetches
`PUBLIC_SITE_URL`	Astro	Frontend URL
`NEXT_PUBLIC_CMS_URL`	Next.js	CMS URL for client-side fetches
`FRESH_INSTALL`	CMS	Set `true` on first Railway deploy to use push mode
`AUTO_MIGRATE`	CMS	Set `false` to skip migrations on boot

Documentation

AGENT_CONTRACT.md — Developer guidelines and coding standards
DEPLOY_TO_RAILWAY.md — Step-by-step Railway deployment
RAILWAY_TEMPLATE_SETUP.md — Publishing the Railway one-click template
docs/REVALIDATION_RULES.md — Cache invalidation rules
docs/VERSIONING_POLICY.md — Version management

License

MIT. See LICENSE.

About Opace Digital Agency

Developed and maintained by Opace Digital Agency — a Birmingham-based agency specialising in headless CMS, Next.js, and open-source solutions.

Website: opace.agency
GitHub: @OpaceDigitalAgency
Location: Birmingham, UK

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 329 Commits
apps		apps
docs		docs
packages		packages
presets		presets
railway deploy docs		railway deploy docs
scripts		scripts
.env.example		.env.example
.gitignore		.gitignore
AGENT_CONTRACT.md		AGENT_CONTRACT.md
MASTER.md		MASTER.md
Makefile		Makefile
PROGRESS.md		PROGRESS.md
README-backup.md		README-backup.md
README.md		README.md
docker-compose.yml		docker-compose.yml
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json
pnpm-lock.yaml		pnpm-lock.yaml
pnpm-workspace.yaml		pnpm-workspace.yaml
railway-headless-cms-audit.md		railway-headless-cms-audit.md
setup.sh		setup.sh
tsconfig.json		tsconfig.json

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Payload CMS + Jamstack Platform

Table of Contents

Quick Start

Local Development (Recommended)

Manual Steps (if you prefer control)

Railway / Production

What You Get

Built-in Collections

Core Content

Extended Content

Content Management

Globals (Settings Pages)

Content Blocks

Block Library

Feature Settings

Admin UI

Sample Data Manager

Custom Dashboard

Navigation

Project Structure

Makefile Commands

Getting Started

Development

Database

Seeding

Build & Deploy

Utilities

Deployment

Railway (Recommended)

Boot Sequence (start.sh)

Environment Variables

Documentation

License

About Opace Digital Agency

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