Digital Thrive

Modern web development increasingly demands content that's both easy for editors to manage and flexible enough to include interactive components. MDX (Markdown + JSX) stored in Sanity CMS and rendered in Next.js provides exactly this capability—giving you the best of both worlds: markdown's simplicity with React's interactive power. This guide explores the complete workflow from [Sanity schema setup](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2020/12/mdx-stored-sanity-next-js-website/) to Next.js rendering with custom components, empowering your content team to create rich, interactive experiences without touching code. For teams building [modern web applications](/services/web-development/), this approach provides the ideal balance between content manageability and technical flexibility. If you're exploring static site generation alongside MDX, our guide on [modern static website generators](/resources/guides/web-development/modern-static-website-generators-next-big-thing/) covers complementary approaches to performant content delivery.

## Why Store MDX in Sanity?

Sanity provides a hosted content lake with powerful querying via GROQ, while MDX allows embedding React components directly in content. Next.js provides optimized rendering with Server Components. This combination enables content editors to work in a familiar interface while developers maintain component control. The key advantage lies in Sanity's flexible schema system, which can accommodate MDX content stored as raw strings that can then be compiled and rendered within Next.js applications. Next.js has evolved significantly with version 15, offering improved performance through Server Components and streaming. When combined with [Sanity's real-time content platform](https://www.athousandnodes.com/posts/portfolio-site-with-nextjs-sanity), developers can build websites that are both highly performant and easily maintainable. For projects requiring sophisticated content workflows, our [CMS development services](/services/cms-development/) can help you design and implement the optimal architecture for your needs. Additionally, integrating AI-powered automation through our [AI automation services](/services/ai-automation/) can enhance content workflows with intelligent content processing and personalization.

## Setting Up Sanity for MDX Content

Proper schema configuration is the foundation of a successful MDX + Sanity implementation. You'll need to define a string or text field in your Sanity schema to store raw MDX, use Sanity's validation to ensure content meets basic requirements, and set up GROQ queries to fetch MDX content at build time or request time. The connection between Sanity and Next.js requires proper configuration of environment variables and client initialization. Modern Next.js 15 applications leverage Server Components for optimal performance, making it possible to fetch Sanity content directly in components without client-side API calls. Our [web development services](/services/web-development/) provide comprehensive expertise in building robust, scalable architectures that integrate CMS platforms with modern frontend frameworks.

1export default {2  name: 'mdxPage',3  title: 'MDX Page',4  type: 'document',5  fields: [6    {7      name: 'title',8      title: 'Title',9      type: 'string',10      validation: Rule => Rule.required()11    },12    {13      name: 'slug',14      title: 'Slug',15      type: 'slug',16      options: { source: 'title' }17    },18    {19      name: 'content',20      title: 'MDX Content',21      type: 'text',22      description: 'Write your MDX content here. You can include React components.'23    }24  ]25}

### Best Practices for Content Modeling

### Portable Text: Sanity's Native Alternative

[Sanity's Portable Text format](https://www.sanity.io/docs/developer-guides/presenting-block-text) offers an alternative to raw MDX storage, providing structured content that's easier to query and transform. While MDX provides flexibility for custom components, Portable Text ensures content portability and easier migration. Many developers choose Portable Text for its query capabilities and Sanity's native tooling support. Both MDX and Portable Text have their place in modern content stacks. Choose MDX if you need full React component flexibility and technical editors. Choose Portable Text for structured content, better query capabilities, and non-technical editors. Our [CMS development services](/services/cms-development/) help teams evaluate content needs and implement the most appropriate architecture for their specific requirements.

## Fetching and Rendering MDX in Next.js

Next.js provides [official MDX support](https://nextjs.org/docs/app/guides/mdx) through the @next/mdx package, which can be configured to compile and render MDX content at build time or on demand. For MDX stored in Sanity, you'll need to compile the raw string at runtime using the next-mdx-remote package. This approach pairs well with our [Tailwind CSS implementation patterns](/resources/guides/web-development/tailwindcss-react-project/) for styling MDX content with custom components. Our [web development services](/services/web-development/) include specialized expertise in Next.js implementations, ensuring optimal performance and maintainability for your content management system.

1import createMDX from '@next/mdx';2 3const withMDX = createMDX({4  options: {5    extension: /\.mdx?$/6  }7});8 9export default withMDX({10  pageExtensions: ['js', 'jsx', 'md', 'mdx', 'ts', 'tsx']11});

1export async function getMdxContent(slug: string) {2  const query = `*[_type == "mdxPage" && slug.current == $slug][0]{3    title,4    content,5    "slug": slug.current6  }`;7 8  return client.fetch(query, { slug });9}

1import { MDXRemote } from 'next-mdx-remote/rsc';2import { getMdxContent } from '@/lib/sanity';3 4export default async function MdxPage({ params }: { params: { slug: string } }) {5  const page = await getMdxContent(params.slug);6 7  return (8    <article className="prose lg:prose-xl">9      <h1>{page.title}</h1>10      <MDXRemote source={page.content} components={CustomComponents} />11    </article>12  );13}

### Custom Components in MDX

One of MDX's key advantages is the ability to include [interactive React components directly within content](https://dev.to/akshay_gupta/why-i-ditched-sanity-cms-for-mdx-and-never-looked-back-3jhm). When using MDX from Sanity, define a components map that maps component names to React components. You can pass this components map to MDXRemote, enabling rich interactive content without compromising on developer control. This flexibility is particularly valuable when combined with [React context patterns](/resources/guides/web-development/introduction-react-context-api/) for managing component state across MDX content. Our [web development services](/services/web-development/) specialize in creating custom component libraries and integration patterns that maximize both developer productivity and content flexibility.

1import { Callout } from '@/components/ui/callout';2import { CodeBlock } from '@/components/ui/code-block';3import { InteractiveDemo } from '@/components/interactive-demo';4 5const CustomComponents = {6  Callout,7  pre: CodeBlock,8  InteractiveDemo9};10 11<MDXRemote source={content} components={CustomComponents} />

### Comparison: MDX vs. Portable Text

## Real-Time Updates with Webhooks

Sanity supports webhooks that can trigger Next.js revalidation when content changes, ensuring your site reflects the latest content without manual rebuilds. This is essential for maintaining fresh content while benefiting from static generation performance. For larger content repositories, implementing efficient [data loading patterns](/resources/guides/web-development/data-loading-patterns-improve-frontend-performance/) can further optimize the user experience. Our [web development services](/services/web-development/) include implementation of robust webhook architectures and real-time content synchronization systems that keep your website always current.

1import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from 'next/server';2 3export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {4  const secret = request.nextUrl.searchParams.get('secret');5 6  if (secret !== process.env.REVALIDATE_SECRET) {7    return NextResponse.json({ message: 'Invalid secret' }, { status: 401 });8  }9 10  revalidatePath('/');11  return NextResponse.json({ revalidated: true });12}

## Performance Best Practices

Performance considerations when rendering MDX from Sanity include static generation, incremental static regeneration, image optimization, and component lazy loading. By leveraging these strategies, you can achieve excellent performance while maintaining dynamic content capabilities. Our [web development services](/services/web-development/) focus on performance optimization, ensuring your content management system delivers exceptional user experiences through strategic caching, optimization, and architectural decisions.

### Image Optimization with Sanity CDN

[Sanity's image pipeline](https://www.athousandnodes.com/posts/portfolio-site-with-nextjs-sanity) provides automatic optimization, converting images to WebP/AVIF formats and generating responsive sizes. Combine this with Next.js Image component for optimal performance. The URL builder API allows precise control over dimensions, format, and quality. Our [SEO services](/services/seo-services/) leverage image optimization as a key component of comprehensive search performance strategies.

1import imageUrlBuilder from '@sanity/image-url';2 3const builder = imageUrlBuilder(client);4 5export function urlFor(source: SanityImage) {6  return builder.image(source)7    .width(1200)8    .height(600)9    .format('webp')10    .url();11}

### Static vs Dynamic Rendering

### Content Security and Validation

## Conclusion Storing MDX in Sanity and rendering it in Next.js provides a powerful combination that empowers content editors while giving developers full control over the presentation layer. This approach leverages [Sanity's flexible content modeling](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2020/12/mdx-stored-sanity-next-js-website/), Next.js's optimized rendering, and MDX's component embedding capabilities to create modern, performant websites that scale with your content needs. Whether you choose raw MDX for maximum flexibility or Portable Text for structured content management, the Sanity + Next.js stack provides the foundation for building exceptional digital experiences. Our [web development services](/services/web-development/) can help you implement this architecture for your project. Ready to modernize your content management? [Contact our team](/contact/) to discuss how we can help you build a flexible, performant content pipeline with MDX and Sanity. Leverage our [AI automation services](/services/ai-automation/) to enhance your content workflow with intelligent automation and advanced content processing capabilities.

## Sources 1. [Smashing Magazine: How To Use MDX Stored In Sanity In A Next.js Website](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2020/12/mdx-stored-sanity-next-js-website/) - Complete implementation guide for MDX in Sanity + Next.js 2. [A Thousand Nodes: Building a Modern Portfolio Site with Next.js and Sanity](https://www.athousandnodes.com/posts/portfolio-site-with-nextjs-sanity) - Modern Next.js 15 + Sanity implementation patterns 3. [Next.js: MDX Guides](https://nextjs.org/docs/app/guides/mdx) - Official Next.js MDX documentation 4. [Sanity: Presenting Portable Text](https://www.sanity.io/docs/developer-guides/presenting-block-text) - Portable Text rendering guide 5. [Dev.to: Why I Ditched Sanity CMS for MDX](https://dev.to/akshay_gupta/why-i-ditched-sanity-cms-for-mdx-and-never-looked-back-3jhm) - MDX benefits and implementation 6. [GitHub: Portable Text Editor](https://github.com/portabletext/editor) - Official Portable Text editor implementation