Michael Vicente
Shipping a real product quickly is one of the most rewarding parts of modern web development. This article explains how a full Glossary application went from an empty repository to a live production site in a single afternoon using Next.js, Sanity, and Vercel.
The goal was straightforward. Build a fast, searchable, editor friendly UX glossary that is ready for search engines from day one, then deploy it with minimal friction.
This guide covers the full delivery flow including project setup, content modeling, user experience, production readiness, and deployment on Vercel.
The Glossary Concept and Technology Stack
The Glossary needed to feel instant, easy to browse, simple to maintain, and friendly to search engines.
To achieve that, the following stack was selected.
- Next.js with the App Router for routing, server components, and built in metadata handling.
- TypeScript for safer refactors and strongly typed content.
- Tailwind CSS to move fast on layout and styling without heavy setup.
- Sanity as a headless CMS so editors can manage content without touching code.
- Vercel for hosting, previews, and seamless Next.js integration.
This combination made it possible to move quickly while still delivering a production ready application.
Step One: Bootstrapping the Next.js App
- The project started with a standard Next.js setup using official tooling.
- The initial configuration included TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, ESLint, and the App Router. This provided a modern structure out of the box and removed the need for manual configuration.
- Core routes were defined early.
- The home page introduced the UX Glossary and highlighted popular terms.
The glossary index page handled browsing, filtering, and search.
Individual term pages displayed definitions, examples, related terms, and metadata.
Supporting pages covered About, FAQ, Contact, and Contribute. - At this stage, the focus was speed. The goal was to get a working glossary experience running locally and iterate from there.
Step Two: Designing the Content Model with Sanity
- A glossary grows quickly, so content structure mattered from the start.
- Sanity was used to define clear and reusable content types.
- Terms included title, slug, short definition, expanded definition, examples, related terms, categories, and tags.
Categories grouped related UX concepts.
Tags supported flexible filtering and cross linking. - These structures were defined in two places. Sanity schemas powered the editor experience, while matching TypeScript interfaces ensured the frontend stayed aligned with the content model.
- Sanity Studio gave editors a clean interface to manage glossary entries, connect related terms, and publish updates without developer involvement.
- Migration scripts were also added to import existing data from systems like WordPress or Contentful. This avoided manual copy and paste and made onboarding existing content much easier.
Step Three: Building the UX Glossary Experience
- With content flowing into the app, attention shifted to the user experience.
- The home page acted as an entry point with clear navigation into categories and featured terms.
- The glossary index supported search, category filters, and alphabetical browsing. Server rendered data fetching ensured fast load times and search friendly pages.
- Each term detail page followed a consistent structure. Definitions appeared first, followed by examples, related concepts, and contextual links back to categories and tags. Metadata and Open Graph images were generated dynamically to support social sharing.
- Supporting pages such as Contact and Contribute were wired to API routes so submissions could be handled securely on the server.
- A shared layout handled navigation, breadcrumbs, footer content, and error states. Custom error and not found pages ensured a clean experience even when users hit edge cases.
Step Four: Production Readiness and SEO
- Before deployment, a production readiness pass ensured the app was prepared for real traffic.
- Search engine optimization was handled directly within the application.
- Robots rules were defined using a route handler. XML sitemaps were generated dynamically for glossary terms and categories. Page level metadata was created using built in Next.js metadata utilities.
- Performance was handled through server components and sensible caching strategies. Content that rarely changes could be cached aggressively, while newer terms supported revalidation.
- Environment variables were scoped correctly so sensitive credentials stayed on the server. Sanity configuration lived in a dedicated client file that worked cleanly across environments.
Step Five: Connecting the Project to Vercel
- Once the application was stable locally, deployment required very little effort.
- The repository was pushed to GitHub and imported directly into Vercel. Vercel automatically detected Next.js and configured the build process without manual setup.
- Environment variables were added in the Vercel dashboard for Sanity credentials and any other integrations. These were applied to production and preview environments as needed.
- No custom pipelines or configuration files were required.
Step Six: Deployments and Preview URLs
- The first deployment ran automatically after the project was imported.
- From that point forward, every code push triggered a new build. Every pull request generated its own preview URL.
- This made it easy to share work with collaborators and stakeholders. Content editors could review real data in a real environment before changes reached production.
- This workflow reduced friction between development and review.
Step Seven: Going Live with a Custom Domain
- Once the main branch was approved, it was set as the production branch in Vercel.
- A custom domain was connected and DNS updated using Vercel provided instructions. From that point on, every push to the main branch deployed directly to production.
- Deploy times stayed fast and predictable.
Step Eight: Platform Features That Continued to Help
- After launch, several platform features continued to add value.
- Built in analytics made it easy to understand traffic patterns and popular glossary terms without heavy scripts.
- Global caching and edge delivery kept page loads fast regardless of visitor location.
- Dynamic Open Graph image generation ran at the edge, making social sharing of glossary terms both fast and reliable.
- Rollback support allowed any issue to be reverted in seconds.
The Full Workflow at a Glance
Here is the process condensed into clear steps.
- Scaffold a Next.js app with TypeScript and Tailwind.
- Define a structured content model in Sanity.
- Build glossary pages and supporting routes.
- Add SEO essentials such as sitemaps, robots rules, and metadata.
- Push the project to GitHub and import it into Vercel.
- Configure environment variables and deploy.
- Use preview deployments to iterate and validate.
- Promote the main branch to production and connect a custom domain.
This entire flow took hours rather than weeks.
Why This Approach Works
The strength of this setup lies in how little friction exists between idea and delivery.
Next.js and Vercel work together naturally, removing most deployment concerns. Sanity gives editors control without slowing developers down. TypeScript and Tailwind keep iteration fast while maintaining clarity.
This approach works especially well for glossaries, documentation sites, knowledge bases, and content driven products.
If you want to ship a polished UX resource quickly, this workflow turns deployment into a routine step rather than a stressful event. In many cases, shipping really can be as simple as pushing to Git, and that is how modern web development should feel.
