Custom CMS
Built around your content, not WordPress's.
When off-the-shelf WordPress plugins or generic page builders fight your actual content shape — properties, clinicians, case studies, exhibitions, fleets, tariffs — a custom CMS fits like a bespoke suit. Define the schema, get the admin UI, ship the frontend.
schema.ts
1const
Property = defineType({
name: "property",
fields: [
{ name: "address", type: "string", required: true },
{ name: "price", type: "number", required: true },
{ name: "bedrooms", type: "number", required: true },
{ name: "status", type: "enum", required: true },
{ name: "images[]", type: "media", required: true },
{ name: "listed_on", type: "date" },
]
})
Admin · New property
2address*
14 Sandymount Ave, D4
price*
€785,000
bedrooms*
3
status*
For sale▾
images[]*
8 files
listed_on
2026-03-14
yourbrand.ie/properties
3For sale
14 Sandymount Ave, D4
3 bed·€785,000
Listed 14 March
1Define schema
2Admin auto-generated
3Frontend consumes
When custom CMS pays off
Five scenarios where off-the-shelf fails.
Estate agent with a complex listing model
WordPress plugins treat properties as shoehorned "products". You need property-specific fields (BER rating, viewing slots, Daft feed sync, PRA compliance status), custom filters (price × beds × BER × area), agent-based routing.
Typical stack
Laravel + Nova admin · Postgres · map integration
Agency with case-study-driven site
Each case study has unique shape — metrics, collaborator credits, image galleries, embedded videos, related projects. Every WordPress page builder results in inconsistent, brittle layouts. Custom fields enforce consistency.
Typical stack
Next.js + Keystone CMS · component-based content blocks
Events venue with complex scheduling
Recurring events, ticket tiers, capacity management, performer bios, venue maps, sales windows. Generic events plugins handle 40% of this. Custom handles 100%.
Typical stack
Django admin + Stripe tickets · ICS feeds
Multi-location clinic / professional service
Clinician profiles, practice specialisations, availability per location, insurer acceptance, GP referral flows, patient intake forms. Each clinic branch has slightly different rules.
Typical stack
Laravel Filament · role-per-location access · audit trail
Product configurator / bespoke manufacturing
Customers spec a product (materials × dimensions × finishes × options) and get a tailored quote. Pricing rules nested, quote PDF generation, inventory implications.
Typical stack
Node + Strapi · React frontend · rules engine
Decision framework
Custom CMS vs WordPress vs Headless — pick honestly.
Pick WordPress if
Content model is standard (pages, posts, simple categories). Team already knows WordPress. Budget is tight. Growth to moderate — not enterprise.
Pick Headless (Sanity/Strapi) if
Content lives in multiple places (web + app + digital signage + email). Developer team is comfortable with React/Next.js. Editorial team can learn a new interface.
Pick Custom CMS if
Your content shape doesn't fit standard molds. Business rules are specific (pricing, permissions, workflows). You'll invest long-term — custom builds for 3-5+ year horizons.
How we build custom CMS projects
Content modelling first. Code second.
Most custom CMS projects go sideways in the first 2 weeks because people skip modelling and start coding. We invert that.
01
Content audit
Map every type of content you publish today — pages, articles, products, cases, team bios, whatever. Discover edge cases early.
02
Schema design
Turn each content type into a defined schema with fields, types, required/optional, relationships. Written before a line of code.
03
Workflow modelling
Who creates, who reviews, who publishes? Role-based permissions, approval chains, audit trails mapped now — bolted on later = painful.
04
Admin UI prototype
Functional admin panel using Nova/Filament/Strapi/Keystone based on schema. Editors click around a real prototype before frontend exists.
05
Frontend consumption
Next.js/Nuxt/Laravel-Blade frontend consuming the CMS data. Designed to reflect content structure, not fight it.
06
Training + handover
Editor training sessions, documented workflows, ongoing support tier. Custom doesn't mean mysterious.
The security + compliance picture
Built-in enterprise-grade governance.
Role-based access
Editor, reviewer, admin, read-only — each with granular permissions per content type and even per record.
Audit trails
Every change logged: who, when, what field, old value, new value. Essential for regulated industries.
Version control
Content versions kept indefinitely. Revert, compare, restore. No "accidentally overwrote the about page" disasters.
GDPR + data residency
Hosted in EU regions by default. Data export, deletion workflows, consent tracking all built to your compliance needs.
Draft/review/publish states
Content moves through states with notifications at each transition. No accidental publishes.
Two-factor auth
Mandatory 2FA for admin access. Enterprise SSO (SAML/OIDC) for larger orgs.
API rate limiting
Public API endpoints protected against scraping and abuse. Per-API-key throttling for integrations.
Encrypted at rest
Database encryption, S3 server-side encryption for media, TLS 1.3 in transit. All standard.
Frequently asked
Custom CMS questions.
Entry point around €18,000 for a simple single-content-type site with admin + frontend. Typical business project €30,000–€90,000 depending on content model complexity, integration count, and permissions depth. Enterprise builds scale beyond that — we scope per engagement.
Describe your content. We'll model it.
Free 45-minute scoping call — you describe the shape of your content and business rules, we come back with a rough content model, recommended stack, and realistic timeline/budget range.