Clarification on using the command `npm create sanity@latest` in a NextJS web app.

3 replies
Last updated: Oct 12, 2023
Hello, apologies if this has been asked already.I am building a web app using NextJS and I want to utilize Sanity. It says the command
npm create sanity@latest
Is that correct? It sounds like a command for an initial setup for a project, not for a project that already exists. But that just may be how I'm reading this.
AI Update

You're reading that correctly! The npm create sanity@latest command is indeed designed to initialize a new Sanity Studio project, not specifically to integrate into existing applications. However, you can still use it with your existing Next.js app - let me explain how.

Running the Command in Your Existing Project

When you run this command in an existing Next.js project directory:

npm create sanity@latest
# or
npx sanity@latest init

The CLI will initialize a new Sanity Studio project through an interactive setup that:

  • Authenticates you with Sanity (if needed)
  • Lets you select or create a Sanity project
  • Configures your dataset
  • Asks where to output the Studio files
  • Sets up configuration files

The key is understanding that this creates a Sanity Studio project - its own set of files and configuration. You can specify where these files should go using the --output-path option:

npx sanity@latest init --output-path studio

This would create a studio folder within your Next.js project containing all the Sanity Studio files.

Integration Options

After initialization, you have two main approaches:

  1. Embedded Studio: You can embed the Studio as a route in your Next.js app (like /studio), making it accessible alongside your main application
  2. Separate Studio: Run the Studio separately (different port or deployed independently) and just use the Sanity client in your Next.js app to fetch content

Quick Setup

For unattended setup with defaults:

npx sanity@latest init -y --project <your-project-id> --dataset production --output-path studio

After initialization, you'll need to install the necessary packages (like next-sanity) to connect your Next.js app to fetch content from Sanity. The init command sets up the Studio; connecting your Next.js frontend to query that content is a separate step using Sanity's client libraries.

this will setup sanity studio in your nextjs app. if you already have that setup then you just need to start the dev server in studio.
its not going to create a NextJS application its going to install and config studio into your existing project.
thank you friend

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