---
name: blog-cms
when: blog, CMS, content site with posts, publishing platform, articles — a persistent app that stores and publishes posts (title, body, tags, published flag). Needs a database → runtime → local edition.
needs: database
deploy: runtime
editions: local
capabilities_note: persistent — needs a database (Mongo). Runtime app, async build, local edition only. Declare the canonical `needs: { database: true }`; the deployer injects DATABASE_MONGODB_URL (+legacy MONGODB_URL).
summary: Build a persistent Next.js + Mongo blog / CMS on the grid — a `posts` collection (title, slug, body, tags, published, createdAt) with a public list, a single-post page, and an admin create/delete screen. Edition-gate first, scaffold, put the app under services/web/, wire process.env.DATABASE_MONGODB_URL (legacy MONGODB_URL fallback) lazily, declare needs:{database:true} (not requires:), deploy async, poll to a live URL.
---

# Workflow: blog-cms

The user wants a blog, content site, or CMS that **remembers** its posts — a
publishing platform whose articles survive refresh and are shared across
sessions. That is a **runtime app** backed by the grid's shared Mongo, not a
static page. It is the same proven shape as `app-with-data`, with a `posts`
domain (title, slug, body, tags, published, createdAt): a public post list, a
single-post page at `/posts/[slug]`, and an admin screen to create and delete
posts (drafts stay off the public list).

Follow this recipe. Be honest that a runtime deploy is async (not instant like a
static drop) and that it needs the local edition.

## 1. Edition check FIRST (hard gate)

A persistent app is a built + deployed container. It requires the **local
edition** (Claude Desktop / Claude Code) or the CLI.

- **Hosted edition (Claude Web / hosted MCP):** you CANNOT build a runtime app —
  hosted is inline-only and can only publish static pages. Tell the user
  plainly, offer a **static version** instead, and STOP the runtime path here.
- **Local edition:** continue.

## 2. Auth + grid

1. Ensure signed in: `grid_login_status`; if not, `grid_login`.
2. A grid is required. Respect the grid picker: if the user has more than one
   grid, ask which to use; do not assume a target.

## 3. Scaffold

`grid new <name>`. It scaffolds the project folder and writes a `cloudgrid.yaml` with an EMPTY
`services: {}`. No server entity exists yet — the first `grid plug` auto-creates
it from the manifest (honoring its `name:`) and writes `.cloudgrid/link.json`.
Then (a) write the app under **`services/web/`**,
and (b) fill `cloudgrid.yaml` to the shape below (`services.web` + `needs:
{ database: true }`).

## 4. Add the datastore + wire Mongo

1. Set `cloudgrid.yaml`. **App code MUST live under `services/<name>/`** —
   `path:` is the URL mount, NOT the filesystem path.
   ```yaml
   name: my-blog
   services:
     web:
       type: nextjs
       path: /
   needs:
     database: true
   ```
   **Declare the datastore with `needs: { database: true }`** — the canonical
   shape. The deployer provisions Mongo and injects `DATABASE_MONGODB_URL` (plus
   the legacy `MONGODB_URL` alias). `requires:` is the deprecated v1 alias; don't
   author new yaml with it, and never set `needs:` and `requires:` together (the
   validator rejects it).
2. Fetch the template for the Mongo wiring + CRUD shape:
   `grid_get_template("template", "blog-cms")`. It is a minimal, real Next.js +
   `mongodb`-driver blog under `services/web/`: a lazy client in
   `services/web/lib/db.js`, an App-Router GET/POST/DELETE route on a `posts`
   collection, a server-component list page, a single-post page at
   `app/posts/[slug]/page.js`, and an admin server page + client form.
3. Adapt it (rename the collection, change fields, adjust the UI). **Read the DB
   from `process.env.DATABASE_MONGODB_URL`** (legacy `process.env.MONGODB_URL`
   fallback) — the grid injects it at dev-time and runtime.
   - **Put the DB connection behind a lazy getter — never read the connection
     string at module top level, or `next build` fails.**
   - **Keep DB-reading pages and the API route `export const dynamic =
     "force-dynamic"`** so they read/write live data instead of being
     statically prerendered at build.

## 5. (Optional) Run locally

Mention that the user can `grid dev` to run locally against the injected Mongo
before deploying. Don't require it.

## 6. Config

- API keys / secrets → `grid secrets set`. Non-secret config → `grid env set`.
- Do **NOT** set the DB connection vars yourself (`DATABASE_MONGODB_URL` or the
  legacy `MONGODB_URL`) — the grid injects them.

## 7. Deploy (async)

Deploy the folder with `grid_plug`. A **runtime deploy is ASYNC**: the first
response is `status: "building"`, NOT a live URL yet.
- Poll `grid_check_deploy` (or the returned poll_url) until the entity is live.
- Surface a liveness signal while it builds — never a bare silent wait.
- Only once it is live, return the deployed app URL (NOT the build/log link).

## 8. Return the live URL + iterate

Give the user the live blog URL — that is the deliverable. To iterate, re-plug
the SAME entity so it updates the same URL. Keep it honest: async build,
local-edition only, credentials injected by the grid.