How I Use Google Sheet as a Lightweight CMS

Most client sites don’t need a full CMS. They just want to update a few pieces of content: a news section, a list of services, or a form response display. Google Sheets is free, familiar, and allows them to do this without breaking the site.

Each row is a content item. Columns might be 'title', 'description', 'image_url', 'link', etc. Share the sheet as view-only and connect it to your app using an API service or custom script.

Tools like NocodeAPI or Sheety turn your sheet into a JSON API instantly. Pros: fast and simple. Cons: limited flexibility. Use this if you want a quick solution without writing backend code.

Write a script to read your sheet and return it as JSON. This gives you full control over formatting and access. Deploy the script as a web app and use the URL as your endpoint in Next.js.

Use getStaticProps or getServerSideProps to fetch data from your sheet API. With ISR (Incremental Static Regeneration), you can auto-update content every few minutes without redeploying.

- News or blog sections - Product or service listings - Event schedules - Form submissions with Google Forms + Zapier All auto-updated from the sheet.

Set up a Google Form → link to Sheet → site fetches from Sheet. Combine with Zapier or Make to alert you when data changes. Great for building low-code dashboards or testimonial walls.

✅ Sites with low content complexity ✅ Clients who want control without tech ✅ Projects with <$1k budget ❌ Not for apps needing auth or deep nesting It's a perfect stack for fast delivery and low maintenance.