Google Docs — CMS

A lightweight blog system built using:

• Google Docs (content layer)
• Google Sheets (metadata layer)
• Google Apps Script (publish controller)
• Next.js (App Router + ISR) (render layer)

No database.
No traditional CMS.
No rebuild required when publishing.

Why This Exists

I write 2–3 blog posts per month.

Adding a database, headless CMS, or markdown rebuild workflow felt unnecessary.

So I designed a system around tools I already use — Google Docs — and connected them to Next.js using secure on-demand revalidation.

👉 Here is the full story.

How It Works

1. Blog content is written in Google Docs.
2. Metadata (slug, SEO, status) is stored in Google Sheets.
3. A custom Apps Script menu allows:
   • Publish
   • Unpublish
   • Refresh blog list
4. On publish:
   • Apps Script generates a secure hash
   • Calls a Next.js API route
   • Triggers revalidatePath() for affected routes
5. Pages regenerate instantly via ISR.

Architecture Overview

Content Layer → Google Docs
Metadata Layer → Google Sheets
Control Layer → Apps Script
Rendering Layer → Next.js
Cache Layer → ISR + Manual Revalidation

What This Optimizes

• No database cost
• No CMS dependency
• Static performance
• On-demand publishing
• Minimal infrastructure

Tradeoffs

• Not designed for large-scale publishing
• Depends on Google ecosystem
• Requires structured metadata discipline

Built intentionally for small, low-frequency publishing workflows.

Status

Repository is under active development.

More setup documentation will be added soon.