From Static JSON to Scalable CMS

Rebuilt the content system using Sanity, ISR, and webhooks to remove developer bottlenecks and speed up campaign launches across the IPO platform.

Company: PrimaryBid
Role: Senior React Engineer
Scope: Full ownership

<5 min
Content updates time reduced
Zero
Developer involvement for copy changes
2+ Products
IPO app + marketing website powered

Context

The Problem

In the initial build for the Deliveroo launch, static JSON was a deliberate trade-off to move fast and get the campaign live. It worked, so we kept going.

As we scaled, though, it became a bottleneck: every content change meant a full development cycle, even for simple copy updates.

Objective

The Task

Evaluate and recommend a headless CMS. Enable editors to manage content independently, support multiple campaigns, maintain performance.

Solution

Implementation

Why Sanity

Chose Sanity for its schema-as-code approach, TypeScript support, and webhook-based ISR. Flexible enough for our component architecture, intuitive enough for editors.

Schema design

Collaborated with design to map UI components to Sanity schemas. Document types for Issuer, Campaign, Phase. Mobile-first.

Studio

Built custom input components, validation rules and preview configurations in Sanity Studio to give editors a safe, intuitive editing environment.

Performance

Sanity webhooks trigger ISR. Static performance, near instant content updates.

Architecture

Fully dynamic page building with GROQ fragments. Internationalisation enabled in Studio and schema for multi-language campaigns.

Outcome

The Impact

1.Content updates: hours → minutes zero developer involvement
2.Campaigns prepared in parallel with development
3.Scaled to multiple simultaneous campaigns
4.Architecture later adopted globally powering SoFi's Directed Share Platform

Reflection

Lessons Learned

Schema design is product design

Time upfront with the design team on patterns and vocabulary paid dividends.

Start with constraints, add flexibility later

I made schemas too flexible at first. Editors got lost. Defaults first, options where needed.

Stack

Technologies Used

Next.jsReactTypeScriptSanity CMSSanity StudioGROQISRWebhooks