Can I use Nextly as the admin panel for my Next.js app?

Yes. MIT licensed, self-hosted. Runs inside your own Next.js app, on your own PostgreSQL or MySQL database, or SQLite for local work. Role-based permissions for each collection and action, plus field-level read and write rules in code, on a collection’s or single’s own fields.

Next.js admin panelAdd a content and admin layer to your Next.js app.

Runs inside your own Next.js app, on your own PostgreSQL or MySQL database, or SQLite for local work.

Read content straight from your database in your page code (the Direct API), or over REST.

Sign-in for your team: email and password, sessions and API keys, stored in your own database.

Start building Try the tour Read the docs

>_npx create-nextly-app@alpha my-app

01How it fits together

What you write, what Nextly runs, and who it is for

Each numbered part is explained under the drawing, with its limit where it has one.

Your Next.js app

In your codenextly.config.tsCollections, singles, rules
Nextly, inside your Next.js appThe adminAt /admin
Who it is forYour team: entries, media, users
In your codeapp/**/page.tsxYour routes and server code
Nextly, inside your Next.js appThe Direct APITrusted server code
Who it is forYour pages and routes
Nextly, inside your Next.js appRESTUnder /admin/api, with API keys
Who it is forOther apps and services
In your codecollections/*.tsHooks in your collection config
Nextly, inside your Next.js appHooksRun when content changes
Who it is forYour code
In your codeSet in the admin
Nextly, inside your Next.js appWebhooksSigned, with retries
Who it is forYour services

Your own PostgreSQL or MySQL database, or SQLite for local work

The admin
Model content in TypeScript or in the Visual Schema Builder. Both feed the same Nextly runtime, admin and APIs.
Role-based permissions for each collection and action, plus field-level read and write rules in code, on a collection’s or single’s own fields.
CMS for Next.js
The Direct API
Read content straight from your database in your page code (the Direct API), or over REST.
LimitThe Direct API runs as trusted server code and skips access rules unless you pass overrideAccess: false.
CMS for Next.js
REST
Access rules you write in code apply over REST and in the admin, including read rules on a collection’s or single’s own fields.
LimitWith the rate limit on (the default), every REST request, the admin API included, counts against a budget for whoever is asking: a signed-in session, an API key, or an address.
CMS for Next.js
Hooks
Hooks in code run before and after a change, a read or a delete.
CMS for Next.js
Webhooks
Signed webhooks for content, media, user and form events, with retries, a delivery log, redelivery and secret rotation.
CMS for Next.js

02Who does what

Who does what

Your code

01
Create the project
One command creates a project with the admin and a database: npx create-nextly-app@alpha my-app.
02
Define the content
Typed, code-defined schemas and APIs: nextly generate:types writes types for the collections, singles and field groups in your config.
03
Read it in your routes
Read content straight from your database in your page code (the Direct API), or over REST.

HandoverSign-in for your team: email and password, sessions and API keys, stored in your own database.

The admin

04
Create the first admin
In production, the web setup asks for a one-time setup token, printed in the server log, before it creates the first admin.
The dashboard, with its collection counts and create buttons.
Nextly admin · 0.0.2-alpha.69
05
Manage the content
A media library, stored on local disk by default, or on S3 (and R2 or MinIO), Vercel Blob or UploadThing.
The Posts list, with search, filters and its API button.
Nextly admin · 0.0.2-alpha.69
06
See who changed what
An activity feed of who created, changed or deleted entries, and a security audit trail.
The recent activity feed on the dashboard.
Nextly admin · 0.0.2-alpha.69

03The parts

What you use, and where it comes from

In 0.0.2-alpha.70

Part	What it does	Package	The parts of Nextly this uses
Content model	Model content in TypeScript or in the Visual Schema Builder. Both feed the same Nextly runtime, admin and APIs.	nextly	CMS for Next.js
Roles and field rules	Role-based permissions for each collection and action, plus field-level read and write rules in code, on a collection’s or single’s own fields.	nextly	CMS for Next.js
Team sign-in	Sign-in for your team: email and password, sessions and API keys, stored in your own database.	nextly	CMS for Next.js
Media	A media library, stored on local disk by default, or on S3 (and R2 or MinIO), Vercel Blob or UploadThing.	nextly	CMS for Next.js
Email	Send email through Resend, SMTP or SendLayer, with templates you edit in the admin.	nextly	CMS for Next.js
Webhooks	Signed webhooks for content, media, user and form events, with retries, a delivery log, redelivery and secret rotation.	nextly	CMS for Next.js
Background jobs	Background jobs, run by calling one endpoint from your scheduler.	nextly	CMS for Next.js
Dashboard	Add, remove, drag to reorder and choose the width of each dashboard card.	nextly	CMS for Next.js

04In your code

The code you write

import { defineCollection, defineConfig, richText, text } from "nextly/config";

const Posts = defineCollection({
  slug: "posts",
  admin: { useAsTitle: "title" },
  fields: [
    text({ name: "title", required: true }),
    text({ name: "slug", required: true, unique: true }),
    richText({ name: "content" }),
  ],
  status: true,
});

export default defineConfig({ collections: [Posts] });

import { getNextly } from "nextly";
import config from "@/nextly.config";

export default async function BlogPage() {
  const nextly = await getNextly({ config });
  const { items: posts } = await nextly.find({
    collection: "posts",
    where: { status: { equals: "published" } },
    sort: "-createdAt",
    limit: 10,
  });
  return <ul>{posts.map((p) => <li key={p.id}>{p.title}</li>)}</ul>;
}

written for nextly 0.0.2-alpha.70

Try Nextly here, before you install it.

Pick a tour. Each one is a short, hands-on illustration of the product, and nothing here is saved.

A short tour, in your browser, and nothing is saved. Every control it draws is one Nextly 0.0.2-alpha.70 has; a dashed button is a tour shortcut.

An illustration of the Nextly admin and APIs nothing is saved

Step 1 of 3

1 · Define the field

In your code

export const Posts = defineCollection({
  slug: 'posts',
  fields: [
    { name: 'title', type: 'text' },
    { name: 'excerpt', type: 'textarea' },
  ],
})

Add one field. Watch the two panels on the right.Add one field. Watch the two panels below.

2 · The admin · Entry editor

Release notes: November

Excerpt

Content releases and version history.

3 · Your API

const { items } = await nextly.find({
  collection: 'posts',
})

// response
{ "items": [{
    "title": "Release notes: November",
    "excerpt": "Content releases and…",
  }], "meta": { … } }

The Direct API reads straight from your database in your page code.

Code and the Visual Schema Builder both feed the same Nextly runtime, admin and APIs. The Visual Schema Builder runs on your development instance.

Add a field once, in TypeScript or in the Visual Schema Builder, and it reaches the editor and the API.

npx create-nextly-app@alpha my-app

Read the quick start

In 0.0.2-alpha.70

What ships today

Next.js appsAt a glance

Package: nextly
Release: 0.0.2-alpha.70 · 25 Oct 2026
Licence: MIT
Runs in: Your own Next.js app, self-hosted
Databases: PostgreSQL 15+, MySQL 8+, SQLite 3.38+ for local work
APIs: The Direct API and REST
Requires: Node.js 22.12+ or 24+; Next.js 16 with the App Router; React 19

Documentation Release notes

Where Nextly is today

Before you start

Nextly fits if you want

An admin for your team inside the app you already run.
Access rules in code that apply over REST and in the admin.
Your data in your own PostgreSQL or MySQL database.

Look elsewhere if you need

Sign-in for your site’s visitors or customers.
A GraphQL API. Nextly offers REST and the Direct API.
A hosted service. Nextly is self-hosted.

Access rules and the Direct API: The Direct API runs as trusted server code and skips access rules unless you pass overrideAccess: false. Called that way with no user, it is judged as a signed-out visitor: it can read where no rule names the read, and a create, update or delete needs a rule that allows it. Docs
Sign-in: Sign-in is for your team. It is not sign-in for site visitors or customers. Docs
Behind a proxy: Behind a proxy, set security.trustProxy so anonymous callers are told apart. Docs
Database versions: PostgreSQL 15 or later, MySQL 8 or later, SQLite 3.38 or later for local work. Docs

Nextly is in alpha. APIs may change before 1.0. Pin exact versions in production.

Questions

Short answers

Does Nextly run inside my Next.js app?

MIT licensed, self-hosted. Runs inside your own Next.js app, on your own PostgreSQL or MySQL database, or SQLite for local work.

Can my app’s customers sign in with Nextly?

No. Sign-in is for your team. It is not sign-in for site visitors or customers.

Do access rules apply to the Direct API?

The Direct API runs as trusted server code and skips access rules unless you pass overrideAccess: false. Called that way with no user, it is judged as a signed-out visitor: it can read where no rule names the read, and a create, update or delete needs a rule that allows it.

Does Nextly have a GraphQL API?

No. Nextly offers REST and the Direct API.

Is Nextly free?

Nextly is MIT licensed and self-hosted.

MIT today, and no decision yet about paid offerings.

Can a coding agent set it up?

Every new Nextly project ships with an AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md written for coding agents.

Next.js admin panelAdd a content and admin layer to your Next.js app.

What you write, what Nextly runs, and who it is for

The admin

The Direct API

REST

Hooks

Webhooks

Who does what

Your code

Create the project

Define the content

Read it in your routes

The admin

Create the first admin

Manage the content

See who changed what

What you use, and where it comes from

The code you write

Try Nextly here, before you install it.

Release notes: November

What ships today

Before you start

Nextly fits if you want

Look elsewhere if you need

Short answers

Does Nextly run inside my Next.js app?

Can my app’s customers sign in with Nextly?

Do access rules apply to the Direct API?

Does Nextly have a GraphQL API?

Is Nextly free?

Can a coding agent set it up?

The parts of Nextly this uses