payload

Payload is an open-source, fullstack framework and headless CMS built natively for Next.js. Rather than running as a separate service, it can be installed directly into an existing `/app` directory, letting teams keep front end and backend in one place. The project is fully TypeScript and generates automatic types for the data you define. Key capabilities described in the README: - Next.js-native architecture, deployable anywhere including serverless platforms such as Vercel and Cloudflare - A customizable React-based admin panel, with support for extending the UI via server components - Direct database queries from server components, so REST or GraphQL layers are optional rather than required - Querying the database directly in React Server Components - Authentication out of the box - Versions and drafts for content - Localization support - A block-based layout builder for composing page structures - A Lexical-based rich text editor - Conditional field logic - Granular access control - Document- and field-level hooks tied to Payload actions - Security features including HTTP-only cookies and CSRF protection Getting started is handled through a scaffolding CLI (`create-payload-app`), which can also generate a project from an example or one of the bundled templates. The README highlights a website template and an ecommerce template as production-ready, end-to-end starting points, both using React Server Components and Tailwind on the front end. A templates directory and a community template topic on GitHub are also referenced. Deployment options called out include one-click setups: on Cloudflare with Workers, R2 for uploads and D1 for a replicated database; and on Vercel with a Next.js front end, a Neon database and Vercel Blob for media. Extensibility is a central theme: official and community plugins can be installed to add or remove functionality, and an examples directory plus blog and video resources are offered for learning different setups. Community support runs through GitHub Discussions, Issues and a Discord server, and contribution guidelines are included in the repository. The README presents Payload as an alternative to proprietary SaaS CMS products, emphasizing open source licensing and the absence of vendor lock-in.