Yellowcake

Yellowcake is a Gatsby v2 starter project that bundles the Gatsby static site generator with Netlify CMS v2 to produce content-managed websites, created by Thrive Web Design on the Gold Coast, Australia. It deploys to Netlify in one click and gives editors a CMS at the /admin route.

What is Yellowcake?

Yellowcake is an opinionated starter project that pairs Gatsby v2 with Netlify CMS v2, giving developers a pre-configured foundation for building fast static websites with a content management system. It takes an empty repository and produces a deployable Netlify site with Netlify Identity authentication, Git Gateway, and an admin interface at /admin. The project is maintained by Thrive Web Design.

Key Features

• One-click Netlify deployment — The Deploy to Netlify button clones the repository into your GitHub account, creates a Netlify project, and builds and deploys the site automatically.
• Netlify CMS v2 integration — Editors manage content through a CMS living at /admin, with configuration stored in public/admin/config.yml for customizing pages, fields, posts, and settings.
• Netlify Identity + Git Gateway — Admin access is controlled by Netlify Identity with Invite Only registration, and Git Gateway enables CMS edits to be committed to the remote repository.
• Uploadcare file uploads — Uploadcare hosts uploaded files and delivers them via its CDN; each site needs its own Uploadcare public key supplied through the environment variable GATSBY_UPLOADCARE_PUBLIC_KEY.
• Scheduled content — Posts can be scheduled by setting a date/order field, with daily deploys triggered through a Netlify build hook and a Zapier schedule.
• Mailchimp integration — Form submissions can be forwarded to Mailchimp via a Zapier webhook, with step-by-step setup for connecting Netlify forms to a Mailchimp subscriber list.
• Local development with yarn or npm — Clone the repo, install dependencies, and run yarn start or npm run start to spin up the Gatsby development server on localhost:8000.

Who is it for?

Yellowcake is aimed at agencies and web developers who want a repeatable starting point for Gatsby projects that need a CMS. It's also for small teams who want non-technical editors to manage site content through Netlify CMS, and for projects that need scheduled publishing or Mailchimp-connected forms without custom backend code.

What can you do with Yellowcake?

• Agencies: Spin up client sites with a branded /admin CMS, invite clients as users, and let them edit content without touching code.
• Content teams: Use the CMS to write and schedule posts, relying on the Zapier build hook to trigger daily deploys when scheduled content is due.
• Marketers: Connect the site's forms to Mailchimp through Zapier, so form submissions land directly in a subscriber list.

How does Yellowcake work?

Start by hitting Deploy to Netlify, which clones the repo to GitHub and creates the Netlify project. Then enable Identity, set registration to Invite Only, and turn on Git Gateway. Invite users to get admin access, and the CMS becomes available at the site's /admin path. For local work, clone the repo, install dependencies, and run the Gatsby dev server.

FAQ

How do I deploy Yellowcake to Netlify?

Use the Deploy to Netlify button. It clones the repository into your GitHub account, creates a new Netlify project, and triggers a build and deploy. After that, you configure Identity, Registration Preferences (Invite Only), and Git Gateway in the Netlify dashboard.

How do I set up Uploadcare?

Create a project on Uploadcare, copy its public API key, and set it as the environment variable GATSBY_UPLOADCARE_PUBLIC_KEY. Uploadcare hosts files and serves them through its CDN for the CMS.

How does scheduled content work?

Set a date/order field on a post, then create a Netlify build hook and a Zapier scheduled webhook that triggers a daily deploy. When the deploy runs, the scheduled post appears on the site.

How do I connect the site's forms to Mailchimp?

Set up a Zapier Catch Hook, add the webhook URL as an outgoing notification in Netlify Forms, then add a Mailchimp Add/Update Subscriber step in the same Zap to route submissions.