Building a website with SanityCMS is like giving your team the ultimate toolkit—it’s powerful, flexible, and adaptable to just about any project you can imagine. But having all the tools in the world doesn’t guarantee success. To fully unlock Sanity’s potential, you need to focus on the features that make a real difference, both for your website’s functionality and your team’s workflow.
From live-as-you-type previews to robust menu and SEO management, choosing the right features upfront is key to creating a website that performs brilliantly and scales effortlessly. But here’s the kicker: not all of these features are built into Sanity by default, and not all agencies will include them as standard when building your site. If you don’t clearly specify your expectations upfront, you might end up with gaps in functionality—or worse, paying more later to fill them in.
Partnering with a digital agency that specialises in SanityCMS can help you fast-track the development process and ensure that your site is built to a premium standard. Experienced agencies have pre-built solutions for key challenges, saving time and reducing costs while delivering excellent results. But to get the most out of this partnership, you need to know which features to prioritise.
Whether you’re working with an agency or tackling the project in-house, this article will help you build a site that’s as functional as it is future-proof.
Why Sanity Stands Out
Let’s be real: not all CMSs are created equal. I’m sure you’ve had experiences of having to change how you work to fit around their quirks and limitations. Sanity isn’t just another tool in the shed—it’s the one you’ll actually want to use. It’s flexible, fast, and developer-friendly—basically, everything you wish your last CMS had been.
Here’s the deal: most platforms want you to fit your content into their idea of how things should work. Sanity? It flips the script. You decide how your content is structured, and it just goes along with it like the dream collaborator you’ve always wanted.
Flexibility That Actually Matters
You’re in charge of the content model. Want a blog that links seamlessly to an events calendar? Done. Need nested, flexible page slugs for a custom sitemap? Easy. Sanity’s schema-based approach means you can build exactly what your project needs—no compromises.
Live Collaboration for Humans
Ever wished you could see someone updating content in real-time? Sanity’s live editing is so smooth it might ruin all other CMS’ for you. Add in live-as-you-type previews and visual click-to-edit functionality, and your content team will think they’ve hit the jackpot.
Dev-Friendly to the Core
Sanity doesn’t care how you want to fetch your data—it’s ready for all of it. Plus, it plugs into any framework—React, Next.js, Gatsby, and more—like it was born to be there. No clunky workarounds, just pure development bliss.
Here’s the Catch
Sanity’s incredible flexibility comes with a small asterisk: it’s only as good as the team implementing it. If you’re not careful about who you partner with, you could end up with a half-baked solution that doesn’t use a fraction of its potential.
This is where a skilled SanityCMS agency comes in. The best agencies know how to set you up with features like sitewide SEO settings, dynamic redirects, and flexible menu management—things that aren’t standard out of the box. Plus, they’ve solved similar problems before, so you’re not paying them to reinvent the wheel. But a word of warning: not all agencies deliver these features without being asked, especially the ones selling themselves as “budget-friendly.” Be clear about what you want upfront, and make sure your agency gives you a feature breakdown, or you might find yourself missing key functionality—or worse, paying extra to add it later.
Must-Have Features When Developing with Sanity
Sanity’s flexibility lets you build pretty much anything, but not every feature you need comes baked in. Some are core to the platform, while others might require a bit of custom work—and that’s where the magic (or frustration, if you’re not careful) happens.
Let’s break down the features you absolutely want to have in your Sanity-powered site and how to make sure you actually get them.
Live Previews and Visual Editing
One of Sanity’s best tricks is its live-as-you-type previews. Change something in the CMS, and boom—it’s updated on your site. No guessing, no “refresh and hope it worked.” Pair that with click-to-edit functionality, and your content team will be working directly on the site preview like pros.
This works for all content mediums, be that your website or app, or something funky like a fridge display or live-TV news ticker.
Why It Matters
This isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s a game-changer for fast workflows and content accuracy. Imagine updating a hero image or tweaking SEO text and seeing it live immediately, without asking a developer to intervene. You’re not just saving time—you’re working smarter.
SEO and Metadata Settings
This one’s non-negotiable: you need strong SEO features to make your site competitive. That means site-wide settings, page-level metadata, redirects, and automatic sitemap generation.
Must-Have Features Include
- Site-wide SEO Settings - Manage your primary meta tags, default images, and OpenGraph data in one place.
- Page-Level Controls - Customise meta titles, descriptions, and keywords for every page.
- Dynamic Redirects - Standard, regex-based, or capture group redirects for ultimate flexibility.
- Automatic Sitemap and RSS Feeds - Because who wants to build those manually?
Not all agencies include these out of the box. If you’re not upfront about wanting this level of SEO control, you might find yourself stuck later, either missing functionality or paying extra to add it.
Menu and Footer Management
If you’re not able to dynamically manage menus and footers in your CMS, what are we even doing here? Sanity can handle single-level menus, multi-tiered mega menus, or even custom menu types with ease.
Key Features to Look For
- Flexible menu structures.
- Multiple menu types to pick from, such as link, dropdown, mega menu, etc.
- Footer management tools for handling links, copyright text, and social icons dynamically.
Dynamic Page Slugs and IA Flexibility
Content isn’t always linear, and your site structure shouldn’t be either. With Sanity, you can set up dynamic page slugs, giving you total control over your information architecture. Want nested pages or custom URL structures? Sanity makes it possible.
Some agencies won’t think much about this and opt for the easy route of hard-coded directory structures and single level page URLs. Make sure you specify you want flexibility in your sitemap, and have them talk you through how they’ll do that.
Why It Matters
This kind of flexibility is critical for scaling websites. If your team needs a specific page hierarchy, the last thing you want is to be stuck with rigid URLs that require a website rewrite to change.
Advanced Custom Features
Here’s where Sanity really shines: it’s a blank slate for all kinds of advanced functionality. Some features, like dynamic form builders or mega menus, aren’t included by default—but they can be built into the platform with the right expertise.
Top Custom Features to Consider
- Dynamic Form Builder - Create, edit, and deploy forms without touching code.
- Custom Redirects - Temporary, permanent, and regex-based.
- Mega Menus - Perfect for content-heavy sites like e-commerce.
- Localised Content - Easy management of multi-language sites.
Agency Tip
Working with an agency? Double-check that these advanced features are part of the deal. Some agencies might skip them unless explicitly requested.
Flexible Content Models
Sanity gives you total control over your content structure. Need a blog? Easy. Want a nested menu system? Done. Have some wild, dynamic form builder for your marketing team? No problem. The key here is planning: good content models are the foundation of a scalable website.
Agency Tip
If you’re working with an agency, make sure they nail the content model. A bad schema will haunt you down the road when your team tries to scale or adapt the site. For peace of mind, ask for them to share the content model up-front before they start to build it.
The Bottom Line
Sanity is incredibly versatile, but its power lies in how well it’s implemented. Whether you’re working with an in-house team or an agency, make sure these features—core and custom—are on your checklist. Trust us, future-you will thank you.
Tips for Leveraging These Features
Knowing which features to include in your Sanity project is half the battle. The other half? Actually using them to their full potential. Here’s how to make sure your site not only works great today but stays flexible and scalable for the future.
Plan Your Content Architecture Before You Code
Sanity’s power comes from its flexibility, but with great power comes great responsibility (and, let’s be honest, the potential for chaos). Before you dive into building schemas, take the time to map out your content structure.
Best Practices
- Start with your site’s goals. What types of content will you manage, and how will they relate to each other?
- Think about scalability. Will you need to expand categories, add new pages, or support localisation down the line?
- Collaborate with your content team early. Their input is invaluable for creating intuitive workflows.
Set Up Live Previews Early
Sanity’s live-as-you-type previews are a killer feature—but only if they’re configured properly. Don’t wait until your site is halfway built to add this in. Set up your frontend framework (like Next.js) to handle live previews right from the start.
Agency TipMake sure your agency or developer uses an approach that supports real-time updates without slowing down your site. Done right, this feature is a productivity lifesaver. But done wrong, and you could be serving a bloated website to all your users and slow down your site.
Don’t Skimp on SEO Features
SEO can feel like an afterthought—until you realise it’s the difference between being found online and shouting into the void. Features like page-level SEO controls, dynamic redirects, and sitemaps should be part of your initial setup.
- Make sure you configure SEO for all pages.
- Ensure you have automate sitemap and RSS feed generation.
- Test redirects (both standard and regex) for edge cases.
Optimise Your Media Pipeline
Sanity’s built-in asset management is great, but it’s only as good as your implementation. Make sure you’re leveraging all the tools available, from automatic resizing to CDN delivery.
Optimised media improves site performance, user experience, and SEO. Nobody wants to wait for a 5MB image to load—especially not Google.
Test Workflows and Permissions
Sanity’s flexibility extends to its workflows and user roles, which means you can (and should) customise them to fit your team’s needs.
You may want one or more of the following:
- Role-based permissions for editors, admins, and developers.
- Content approval workflows, especially for high-stakes updates.
- Access restrictions for private or draft pages.
Communicate Expectations with Your Agency
If you’re working with an agency, clarity is king. Make sure they understand exactly what you want from the start, from custom features like dynamic form builders to the nuances of your menu management system. And make sure they’ve communicated back what they will do and what it will cost. And most important of all, make sure they’ve said what they will not be including and why.
Some agencies focus on delivering the cheapest option, which can leave you missing critical features or paying more to add them later. Be upfront about your must-haves, so there are no surprises.
Future-Proof Your Setup
Sanity is built for flexibility, but your site’s success depends on your team’s ability to grow and adapt with it. Invest the time upfront to build a solid foundation, and you’ll have a CMS that works beautifully today and scales effortlessly tomorrow.
SanityCMS is a powerhouse of flexibility and functionality, but like any great tool, it’s only as effective as the team wielding it. From live previews and visual editing to advanced SEO settings and dynamic menu management, the features you choose to implement will define how your website performs and scales.
The secret to success? Planning and clarity. Whether you’re tackling the project in-house or working with a digital agency, take the time to map out your content architecture, identify the must-have features, and communicate your expectations up front. This ensures you get the functionality you need without unexpected gaps or costs.
If you’re working with an agency, make sure they specialise in SanityCMS. A great agency won’t just build you a website—they’ll unlock the platform’s full potential, often leveraging pre-built solutions to save time and money. But be cautious: not all agencies include critical features like SEO settings or advanced redirects as standard. Be clear about your requirements from day one, and you’ll avoid unnecessary headaches down the line.
Sanity’s true power lies in its ability to adapt, scale, and empower both developers and content teams. By focusing on the right features and taking a thoughtful approach to implementation, you’ll create a website that’s not only functional and future-proof but also a joy to work with.
So, what are you waiting for? Dive into Sanity, start planning your dream setup, and build something extraordinary.
Hex are experience design experts. We specialise in building platforms that delight content teams, development teams, and organisations all over the globe. As certified partners of both Sanity and Vercel, we build first-class CMS and DXP experiences for our clients. Send us a message if you want more information or advice on the right Headless CMS for your React project.