Beyond Web2: SoveriCMS and Caffeine Bring Headless CMS to the Internet Computer - A try and POC

How does it Work

SoveriCMS is a headless content management system developed to run entirely on the Internet Computer. It allows us to manage and organise website content directly on-chain, ensuring transparency, immutability, and full data sovereignty.

When we’re ready to publish, a GitHub action is triggered directly from the CMS to deploy the site — generating the final HTML, CSS, and JavaScript needed for production.

For optimal performance we use Astro, a modern static site generator, to build lightning-fast, secure, and efficient pages. However, this approach also works seamlessly with other website frameworks.

The key concept is that the CMS provides a public function via the Candid interface, protected by an access token which delivers the required data in JSON format. This JSON data is then used during the build process to generate the website.

As an added bonus the system also creates a versioned snapshot of the current content/data build — allowing it to be reused or referenced elsewhere.

In a way, it’s like going back to the roots of the web — separating layout and design from pure content, but now reimagined with the power of Web3.

Why did we Build it?

We wanted to create a solution for people who want to run their website on the Internet Computer while maintaining 100% control over their data. These users aren’t necessarily familiar with programming — they prefer working through a simple, intuitive web interface that lets them organise their content and publish it with just a few clicks.

Currently, there’s no true CMS alternative comparable to WordPress or similar systems available in this Web3 ecosystem. The reasons for that are varied — but as we like to say: where there’s a will, there’s always a way and I think we came up with a very good solution!

Why do we need a Separate Build Step?

This requirement comes from how Caffeine is architected. It always creates two canisters — a frontend and a backend.

For websites this means that the frontend fetches content from the backend every time a page is requested. While that’s great for dynamic apps, it can slow things down and isn’t ideal for search engine optimisation.

By generating a static version of the site instead, we achieve the best possible performance, security and SEO, while still keeping all content managed on-chain through SoveriCMS.

Keeping your website’s structure organised in a version control system like Git is standard practice today.

It also supports a clear separation of responsibilities — while a web designer or marketing agency handles the design and layout of your site, your data always remains under your control throughout every stage of development.

There’s no need to request production data back from an external contractor — because you never handed over any in the first place.

And imagine this: when the time comes for a new website redesign, you don’t start from zero. All your content — texts, images, structure, and metadata — already exists securely on-chain, independent of the old design. You can simply connect the new layout or framework to the same data source and instantly reuse your entire content base.

This approach saves enormous time and cost, ensures data consistency across versions, and makes rebranding or modernisation effortless — your content becomes a permanent, reusable asset, not something tied to a single web project.

Why does Your Data Sovereignty Remain Intact?

This approach does not compromise data sovereignty. What’s stored in Git is only the technical framework of your website — the HTML, CSS, and layout — not your actual content or any sensitive information. Your data sovereignty stays fully protected, as all real content is securely managed and stored on-chain, ensuring complete control and transparency.

By embracing a headless CMS like SoveriCMS on the Internet Computer, powered by Caffeine and static site generation, you’re not just building a website — you’re creating a future-proof, secure, and truly sovereign content experience. This approach redefines how web content is managed and deployed, delivering exceptional performance, SEO, and full data control.

It’s a return to the core principles of the web — simplicity, ownership, and openness — reimagined for the decentralized era.

First Insights

Caffeine, as a developer platform for everyone, has the potential to be a true game changer once it reaches a production-ready state. Currently, however, the technology is still in its early stages.

As early adopters of this brand-new technology, we’ve experienced both its ups and downs. In our case, we’re still learning how to clearly express our ideas and wishes — and since Caffeine doesn’t yet allow direct modifications, that can sometimes be a challenge.

Even the described backup strategy proved to be very helpful — at one point, the CMS backend stopped responding, and we had to revert to our backup approach.

What does this mean? Developing software still keeps humans at the center — today even more than in the past. With the ongoing AI technology revolution, we can create faster, better, and more efficiently than ever before. However, this also brings an added layer of responsibility for us as humans, because AI cannot be held accountable for its actions or decisions.

How can You Get the Most Out of this Approach?

To help you build and run your own self-sovereign website, we offer two levels of support:

1. Education & training: We provide workshops, online courses for individuals and organisations who want to learn how to use SoveriCMS and build on the Internet Computer. This empowers you to manage your own website confidently and independently.
2. Consulting & implementation services: Many businesses need guidance when migrating existing websites to SoveriCMS or setting up new ones. We offer professional consulting, development, and implementation services — including custom theme development, data migration, and third-party integrations — to help you make the most of the platform.

Get in touch with us and take the next step toward full data sovereignty on the web. We’re still early in this journey — and we’re excited to support you with your project.