Building Custom Components in SitecoreAI with Next.js

Introduction

In a headless SitecoreAI implementation, Sitecore manages content and page composition, while Next.js renders that content on the frontend.

Creating a custom component involves more than writing a React component. Developers need to define the Sitecore content structure, create the rendering, configure the datasource and placeholder, and connect the Sitecore fields to the Next.js component.

A typical component flow looks like this:

Sitecore Template
↓
Datasource
↓
Rendering Definition
↓
Placeholder
↓
Next.js Component
↓
Rendered Page

This article explains the main steps for building a reusable custom component using Sitecore AI and Next.js.

1. Create the Sitecore Component Template

Start by defining the content fields required by the component.

For example, a Hero component could contain:

Sitecore Field	Field Type
Title	Single-Line Text
Description	Rich Text
Image	Image
CTA	General Link

The template should contain only the fields required by the component.

For reusable components, it is common to create a dedicated datasource template so that authors can manage the component content independently from the page.

For example:

/sitecore/templates/Feature/Components/Hero

The exact template location depends on the project's Sitecore structure.

2. Configure the Datasource

A datasource contains the content that a component displays.

For example:

Home Page
│
└── Hero Component
     │
     └── Hero Datasource
         ├── Title
         ├── Description
         ├── Image
         └── CTA

Using a datasource provides a clear separation between page structure and component content.

It also makes components easier to reuse across different pages.

3. Create the Rendering Definition

The rendering definition connects the Sitecore component to the frontend implementation.

Conceptually:

Sitecore Rendering
↓
Component Mapping
↓
Hero.tsx

The rendering tells Sitecore that the Hero component can be added to a page.

The exact rendering configuration depends on the project and Next.js implementation.

4. Configure the Placeholder

A placeholder defines where a component can be added.

For example:

Main Content
├── Hero
├── Promo
└── Rich Text

Placeholder settings can restrict which renderings are allowed in a particular location.

This gives content authors a controlled Page Builder experience and prevents components from being inserted into inappropriate areas.

5. Create the Next.js Component

Once the Sitecore structure is ready, create the corresponding React component.

With the Sitecore Content SDK, use Sitecore-specific field types rather than treating every field as a simple string.

For example:

import {
  Field,
  ImageField,
  LinkField,
} from '@sitecore-content-sdk/nextjs';

interface HeroFields {
  Title?: Field<string>;
  Description?: Field<string>;
  Image?: ImageField;
  CTA?: LinkField;
}

interface HeroProps {
  fields?: HeroFields;
}

export default function Hero({ fields }: HeroProps) {
  return (
    <section>
      {fields?.Title?.jsonValue && (
        <h1>{fields.Title.jsonValue.value}</h1>
      )}
    </section>
  );
}

The important difference is that the props represent Sitecore field data, not just primitive JavaScript values.

For example:

Single-Line Text → Field<string>
Image → ImageField
General Link → LinkField

This allows the component to work with Sitecore's field structure and editing experience.

6. Render Sitecore Fields

The Content SDK also provides components for rendering common Sitecore fields.

For example:

import {
  Text,
  RichText,
  Image,
  Link,
} from '@sitecore-content-sdk/nextjs';

A component can then map its Sitecore fields to the appropriate renderer:

Sitecore Field	SDK Component
Text	Text
Rich Text	RichText
Image	Image
General Link	Link

This approach keeps the React component closely aligned with the Sitecore content model.

It also avoids manually converting Sitecore field values into HTML wherever possible.

7. Component Rendering Flow

When a content author adds the component to a page, the overall process is:

Content Author
↓
Sitecore Page Builder
↓
Rendering + Datasource
↓
Sitecore Content
↓
Next.js
↓
React Component
↓
Web Page

The author manages the content in Sitecore, while Next.js is responsible for rendering the component.

This separation is one of the main benefits of a headless architecture.

8. Handle Empty Fields

Not every field will always contain a value.

Components should therefore handle optional fields safely.

For example:

{fields?.Title?.jsonValue && (
  <h1>{fields.Title.jsonValue.value}</h1>
)}

The same principle should be applied to images, links, descriptions, and other optional fields.

A missing Sitecore field should not cause the entire component to fail.

9. Make Components Reusable

A good component should be reusable without becoming unnecessarily complicated.

For example, a generic:

Hero

can potentially be used on multiple pages instead of creating separate components such as:

HomeHero
CampaignHero
ProductHero

However, avoid creating a single component with too many unrelated fields.

A focused component is easier for both developers and content authors to maintain.

10. Test the Component in Page Builder

A component should be tested in both the frontend and Sitecore authoring environment.

Verify that:

• The component appears in the correct placeholder.
• The datasource can be selected or created.
• Sitecore fields render correctly.
• Empty fields are handled safely.
• Authors can edit the component.
• Changes are reflected correctly in the frontend.

A component that works on the published website but cannot be properly edited in Page Builder is not a complete Sitecore component implementation.

Conclusion

Building custom components in Sitecore AI with Next.js requires both Sitecore configuration and frontend development. By combining well-defined templates, datasources, renderings, placeholders, and Sitecore-specific field types, developers can create reusable components that are easy for both developers and content authors to maintain.