Introduction

Introduction to Stelo CMS

Stelo CMS is a production-ready content management system template designed specifically for agencies and developers who need to rapidly deploy robust, scalable websites for their clients.

Project Goals

For Agencies

• Rapid Client Deployment: Get from concept to live site in days, not weeks
• Consistent Quality: Standardized architecture ensures reliable, maintainable code
• Client Empowerment: Intuitive CMS interface that clients can manage independently
• Scalable Pricing: Template approach allows for predictable project costs

For Developers

• Modern Stack: Built with the latest T3 stack technologies
• Type Safety: End-to-end type safety from database to frontend
• Developer Experience: Hot reload, excellent tooling, and clear patterns
• Maintainability: Well-structured code with clear separation of concerns

Template Philosophy

Stelo CMS follows a template-first approach:

1. One CMS, Many Sites: Single CMS backend can manage multiple client frontends
2. Standardized Entities: Consistent data structures across all projects
3. Flexible Content: Powerful collection system adapts to any content needs
4. Deployment Ready: Pre-configured for Digital Ocean and Coolify

Who Is This For?

Perfect For:

• Web agencies building multiple client sites
• Freelancers who want professional, scalable solutions
• Developers who need a solid CMS foundation
• Teams wanting consistent development patterns

Not Ideal For:

• One-off personal projects (overhead too high)
• Highly custom applications (template constraints)
• Teams preferring headless-only solutions

What Makes Stelo Different?

🎯 Client-Focused Design

Unlike developer-centric CMSs, Stelo prioritizes the end-user experience. The admin interface is designed for non-technical clients.

🔧 Template Architecture

Rather than a general-purpose CMS, Stelo is optimized for the most common agency use cases: business websites, portfolios, and marketing sites.

🌍 Multilingual by Default

Built-in i18n support isn’t an afterthought—it’s core to the architecture, making international projects straightforward.

☁️ Cloud-Native

Designed for modern deployment patterns with Docker, PaaS platforms, and cloud storage.

Repository Structure

Stelo CMS uses a dual-repository approach:

project-name/
├── stelo-cms/          # Backend CMS (this template)
│   ├── prisma/         # Database schema and migrations
│   ├── src/app/        # Next.js app router structure
│   ├── src/lib/        # Shared utilities and configurations
│   └── src/components/ # Reusable UI components
│
└── client-frontend/    # Client-facing website
    ├── src/app/        # Next.js app router
    ├── src/lib/        # API clients and utilities
    └── src/components/ # Frontend components

Core Concepts

Entities

The building blocks of your content:

• Users: CMS administrators and editors
• Pages: Static content pages (About, Contact, etc.)
• Collections: Dynamic content types (Services, Blog posts, Team members)
• Globals: Site-wide settings (Header, Footer, Social links)

Localization

Every content field can be localized:

title: {
  en: "Welcome",
  fr: "Bienvenue",
  es: "Bienvenido"
}

Permissions

Role-based access control:

• Admin: Full access to all content and settings
• Editor: Content creation and editing
• Viewer: Read-only access (for client stakeholders)

Getting Started

Ready to dive in? Continue with:

1. Architecture Overview - Understand the technical foundation
2. Backend Installation - Set up your CMS
3. Frontend Installation - Deploy your client site

Support & Community

• Issues: Report bugs and request features on GitHub
• Discussions: Join our Discord community for questions
• Documentation: This site is your primary resource
• Updates: Follow releases for new features and security updates