The Gatsby Netlify CMS Starter is a bare starter template for building static sites with Gatsby.js and Netlify CMS, based on Gatsby's official minimal TypeScript starter. It gives you a minimal site foundation with TypeScript support and a content management backend wired for Netlify CMS, so you can start customizing without stripping out demo content.
What is the Gatsby Netlify CMS Starter?
The Gatsby Netlify CMS Starter is a bare starter template for Gatsby.js and Netlify CMS, described that way in its repository metadata. The project is built on the Gatsby minimal TypeScript starter, so the core site is authored in TypeScript with the main page at src/pages/index.tsx. The starter runs through the official Gatsby CLI: you create a new site with npm init gatsby, run npm run develop, and view it at http://localhost:8000. It is maintained by the Gatsby team and is available on GitHub.
Key Features
- TypeScript by default — Pages are written as .tsx files, and the project uses Gatsby's minimal TypeScript starter as its base.
- Netlify CMS integration — The repository metadata identifies this as a bare starter for Netlify CMS, giving editors a web-based content editing interface without a separate frontend.
- One-command scaffolding — Use npm init gatsby to create a new site from the minimal TypeScript starter. No configuration beyond that is needed to start developing.
- Live development experience — npm run develop starts a dev server at http://localhost:8000 with hot reload; edits to src/pages/index.tsx appear immediately.
- One-click Gatsby Cloud deployment — The README includes a deploy button that uses the GitHub repository URL to deploy the site to Gatsby Cloud.
- Official Gatsby resources — The README links out to Gatsby documentation, tutorials, guides, API reference, plugin library, and cheat sheet for further learning.
Who is it for?
- Developers starting a custom Gatsby project — They can scaffold a clean TypeScript site with no sample content and build their own layout, pages, and components.
- Teams using Netlify CMS — Content editors get a CMS-based editing workflow while developers work on the Gatsby frontend, all within the same repositories.
- Freelancers and agencies — They can use this as a minimal base for client sites and deploy quickly to Gatsby Cloud using the one-click button.
What can you do with the Gatsby Netlify CMS Starter?
- Create a Gatsby site: Run npm init gatsby, choose the minimal TypeScript starter, then run npm run develop to start editing at http://localhost:8000.
- Deploy to Gatsby Cloud: Use the one-click deploy button in the README to push the GitHub repository to Gatsby Cloud and get a live URL.
- Add content editing with Netlify CMS: Because the starter is built for Netlify CMS, you can use the CMS to manage site content while Gatsby handles the static build.
How does the Gatsby Netlify CMS Starter work?
The workflow follows Gatsby's standard starter flow. You create a new site with npm init gatsby, which pulls down the minimal TypeScript starter. After that, you install dependencies and run npm run develop to start a local server. The repository also includes instructions for deploying to Gatsby Cloud through a one-click deploy button, so going from scaffold to live site takes just a few steps.
FAQ
Is the Gatsby Netlify CMS Starter free?
Yes. It is available as a public repository on GitHub. Gatsby itself offers free and paid tiers, but the starter code requires no purchase.
Does this starter use TypeScript?
Yes. It is based on Gatsby's minimal TypeScript starter, so the main page is a .tsx file and the project is TypeScript-enabled out of the box.
How do I create a new site from this starter?
Run npm init gatsby in your terminal, then follow the prompts. The README's quick start guides you through the exact commands: scaffold the site, navigate to the directory, and run npm run develop.
