dotCMS / dotCMS/core

[TASK] Create Developer Onboarding Guide for Next.js with dotCMS Universal Visual Editor

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@fmontes is already working on this.

Since Nov 14, 2025.

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Java
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Description

Description

Create comprehensive developer onboarding documentation that guides developers through building a Next.js application integrated with dotCMS and the Universal Visual Editor (UVE).

The guide will be an 8-step tutorial covering:

  • Setting up Next.js with TypeScript and Tailwind CSS
  • Installing and configuring dotCMS SDK packages
  • Authenticating with dotCMS using API keys
  • Fetching and rendering dotCMS content
  • Mapping dotCMS content types to React components
  • Configuring the Universal Visual Editor
  • Editing content visually in real-time
  • Next steps and additional resources

Acceptance Criteria

  • Complete 8-step tutorial with code examples for each step
  • Step 1: Set up Next.js app with verification steps
  • Step 2: Install dotCMS libraries (@dotcms/client, @dotcms/react, @dotcms/types)
  • Step 3: Authentication setup with API key creation and environment variables
  • Step 4: Fetch and display content from dotCMS as JSON
  • Step 5: Render content with DotCMSLayoutBody and Banner component
  • Step 6: Configure Universal Visual Editor in dotCMS
  • Step 7: Demonstrate visual editing capabilities
  • Step 8: Provide next steps and learning resources
  • Include troubleshooting sections for common issues
  • All code examples are complete and tested
  • Prerequisites and verification steps included for each step

Additional Context

Target Environment:

  • Uses minstarter.dotcms.com as the default dotCMS instance
  • Next.js with App Router, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS
  • Node.js v18 or higher

Key Components:

  • Banner component as the primary example
  • Demonstrates server/client component separation
  • Component mapping pattern for content type integration

This onboarding guide is critical for reducing time-to-first-render and demonstrating the core value of dotCMS as a headless CMS with visual editing capabilities.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Assessment

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