continue/docs/guides/sanity-mcp-continue-cookbook.mdx

---
title: "Content Management with Sanity MCP and Continue"
description: "Set up an AI-powered content management workflow that helps you manage schemas, run GROQ queries, handle documentation, and perform migrations using natural language commands."
sidebarTitle: "Sanity CMS with Continue"
---

<Card title="What You'll Build" icon="database">
  An AI-powered content management system workflow that uses Continue's AI agent with Sanity
  MCP to manage schemas, execute GROQ queries, handle migrations, and maintain documentation - all through simple natural language prompts
</Card>

## Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

- Continue account with **Hub access**
  - Read: [Understanding Configs — How to get started with Hub configs](/mission-control/configs/intro)
- Node.js 20+ installed locally
- A [Sanity account](https://www.sanity.io/) and project (free tier works)
- Basic understanding of content management systems

For all options, first:
<Steps>
<Step title="Install Continue CLI">
    ```bash
    npm i -g @continuedev/cli
    ```
  </Step>

<Step title="Install Sanity CLI">
  ```bash
  npm install -g @sanity/cli
  ```
  </Step>
</Steps>
 <Warning>
  To use agents in headless mode, you need a [Continue API key](https://continue.dev/settings/api-keys) and proper environment variable configuration.
  </Warning>

## Getting Started with Sanity

<Accordion title="New to Sanity? Start Here">

New to Sanity? Follow the [Sanity Getting Started Guide](https://www.sanity.io/docs/getting-started) to set up your first project.

**Quick setup:**
```bash
npm create sanity@latest
cd your-project-name
npm run dev
```

**Key resources:**
- [Sanity Studio](https://www.sanity.io/docs/sanity-studio) - Content editing interface
- [Schema Types](https://www.sanity.io/docs/schema-types) - Define content structure
- [GROQ](https://www.sanity.io/docs/groq) - Query language for fetching content
- [Content Lake](https://www.sanity.io/docs/datastore) - Real-time data store

</Accordion>

## Sanity MCP Workflow Options

<Card title="Fastest Path to Success" icon="rocket">
  Skip the manual setup and use our pre-built Sanity Assistant agent that includes
      the Sanity MCP and optimized content management workflows for more consistent results. You can [remix this agent](/guides/understanding-configs#how-to-get-started-with-hub-configs) to customize it for your specific needs.
</Card>


After ensuring you meet the **Prerequisites** above, you have two paths to get started:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="⚡ Quick Start (Recommended)">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Load the Pre-Built Agent">
        Visit the [Sanity Assistant Agent](https://continue.dev/continuedev/sanity-assistant-agent) on Continue Mission Control and click **"Install Config"** or run:

        ```bash
        cn --agent continuedev/sanity-assistant-agent
        ```

        This agent includes:
        - **[Sanity MCP](https://continue.dev/sanity/sanity-mcp)** pre-configured and ready to use
        - **Content management rules** for best practices
        - **Schema optimization** guidelines
      </Step>

      <Step title="Your First MCP Conversation">
        Start with these beginner-friendly prompts to explore your content:

        ```bash
        # Content exploration
        "Show me all blog posts published in the last month"

        # Schema understanding
        "Show me all the document types in my Sanity schema and explain their relationships"

        # Content management
        "Create a new product page for our upcoming feature"
        ```

        That's it! The agent handles everything automatically. For more starter prompts and examples, see the [official Sanity MCP blog post](https://www.sanity.io/blog/introducing-sanity-model-context-protocol-server).
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    <Info>
      **Why Use the Agent?** The pre-built Sanity Assistant agent provides consistent content management workflows and handles MCP configuration automatically, making it easier to get started with AI-powered CMS operations. Results are more consistent and debugging is easier thanks to the [Sanity MCP](https://continue.dev/sanity/sanity-mcp) integration and pre-tested prompts.
    </Info>

  </Tab>

  <Tab title="🛠️ Manual Setup">
<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a New Agent via the Continue Mission Control">
    Go to the [Continue Mission Control](https://continue.dev) and [create a new agent](https://continue.dev/agents/new).
    </Step>

  <Step title="Connect Sanity MCP via Continue Mission Control">
    Visit the [Sanity MCP on Continue Mission Control](https://continue.dev/sanity/sanity-mcp) and click **"Install"** to add it to the agent you created in the step above.

    This will add Sanity MCP to your agent's available tools. The Mission Control listing automatically configures the MCP connection.

    <Tip>
      **Alternative installation methods:**
      1. **Quick CLI install**: `cn --mcp sanity/sanity-mcp`
      2. **With config**: Use [Sanity MCP Config](https://continue.dev/sanity/sanity-mcp-config) for environment variable setup
      3. **Manual configuration**: Add the MCP to your agent configuration

      Once installed, Sanity MCP tools become available to your Continue agent for all prompts.
    </Tip>

    <Info>
      **Authentication Options:**
      - **Interactive mode**: OAuth authentication via browser (expires after 7 days)
      - **Headless/CI mode**: Uses environment variables (SANITY_API_TOKEN, SANITY_PROJECT_ID, etc.)

      See [Sanity MCP Config](https://continue.dev/sanity/sanity-mcp-config) for environment variable setup.
    </Info>

  </Step>

        <Step title="Your First MCP Conversation">
        Start with these beginner-friendly prompts:
        ```bash
        cn
        # Try these starter prompts:
        # "Show me all blog posts published in the last month"
        # "Show me all the document types in my Sanity schema and explain their relationships"
        # "Create a new product page for our upcoming feature"
        ```

        For more examples, see the [Sanity MCP blog post](https://www.sanity.io/blog/introducing-sanity-model-context-protocol-server).
  </Step>
</Steps>

  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Accordion title="Agent Requirements">
    To use the pre-built Sanity Assistant agent, you need either:
      - **Continue CLI Pro Plan** with the models add-on, OR
      - **Your own API keys** added to Continue Mission Control secrets

    The agent will automatically detect and use your configuration along with the pre-configured Sanity MCP for content operations. Note that OAuth authentication will be required on first use.

</Accordion>

---

## Sanity MCP Capabilities

<Card title="Understanding the Capabilities" icon="info-circle">
  **Sanity MCP** provides comprehensive tools for content management:
  - Execute [GROQ queries](https://www.sanity.io/docs/groq) to fetch and analyze content
  - Explore and modify [document schemas](https://www.sanity.io/docs/schema-types)
  - Manage [content releases](https://www.sanity.io/docs/release-schedules) and versions
  - Handle content [migrations](https://www.sanity.io/docs/migrating-data) between environments
  - Automate documentation generation
  - Perform bulk content operations
  - Manage [localization](https://www.sanity.io/docs/localization) and translations

  The MCP integrates seamlessly with your existing Sanity workspace, providing AI-powered assistance for both development and content operations.
</Card>

---

## Your First MCP Conversation

With everything set up, you're ready for your first AI-powered content conversation! Try these beginner-friendly starter prompts:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Content Discovery" icon="search">
    ```
    "Show me all blog posts published in the last month"
    ```
  </Card>
  <Card title="Content Creation" icon="plus">
    ```
    "Create a new product page for our upcoming feature"
    ```
  </Card>
  <Card title="Content Updates" icon="edit">
    ```
    "Update our pricing information across all service pages"
    ```
  </Card>
  <Card title="Content Scheduling" icon="calendar">
    ```
    "Schedule the Easter marketing campaign content release for next Tuesday"
    ```
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Info>
**New to MCP?** These prompts demonstrate the power of natural language content management. For more examples and detailed explanations, check out the [official Sanity MCP blog post](https://www.sanity.io/blog/introducing-sanity-model-context-protocol-server).
</Info>

## Content Management Recipes

Now you can use natural language prompts to manage your Sanity content and schemas. The Continue agent automatically calls the appropriate Sanity MCP tools.

<Info>
You can add prompts to your agent's configuration for easy access in future sessions. Go to your agent in the [Continue Mission Control](https://continue.dev), click **Edit**, and add prompts under the **Prompts** section.
</Info>

<Info>
  **Where to run these workflows:**
  - **IDE Extensions**: Use Continue in VS Code, JetBrains, or other supported IDEs
  - **Terminal (TUI mode)**: Run `cn` to enter interactive mode, then type your prompts
  - **CLI (headless mode)**: Use `cn -p "your prompt"` for headless commands

  **Test in Plan Mode First**: Before running operations that might make
  changes, test your prompts in plan mode (see the [Plan Mode
  Guide](/guides/plan-mode-guide); press **Shift+Tab** to switch modes in TUI/IDE). This
  shows you what the agent will do without executing it.

  To run any of the example prompts below in headless mode, use `cn -p "prompt"`
</Info>

<Info>

  **About the --auto flag**: The `--auto` flag enables tools to run continuously without manual confirmation. This is essential for headless mode where the agent needs to execute multiple tools automatically to complete tasks like schema exploration, GROQ execution, and content migration.

</Info>

### Schema Management

<Card title="Explore Document Types" icon="diagram-project">
  Review and understand your content schema structure.

**Prompt:**
```
Show me all document types in my Sanity schema with their fields,
validation rules, and relationships to other types.
```

</Card>

### GROQ Queries

<Card title="Execute GROQ Queries" icon="magnifying-glass">
  Run GROQ queries to fetch and analyze content.

**Prompt:**
```
Run a GROQ query to fetch all articles published in the last 30 days,
including their titles, authors, categories, and view counts.
```

</Card>

### Content Operations

<Card title="Bulk Content Updates" icon="arrows-rotate">
  Perform bulk operations on your content.

**Prompt:**
```
Find all blog posts with the category "News" and update their
status to "archived" if they are older than 6 months.
```

</Card>

### Localization

<Card title="Add Localization Support" icon="language">
  Set up and manage content translations.

**Prompt:**
```
Add localization support to my article document type for
Spanish and French languages with appropriate field configurations.
```

</Card>

### Content Migration

<Card title="Migrate Content Structure" icon="right-left">
  Migrate content between different schemas or environments.

**Prompt:**
```
Help me migrate my blog posts from the old schema structure
to the new one, mapping the deprecated fields to the new format.
```

</Card>

### Documentation Generation

<Card title="Generate Schema Documentation" icon="book">
  Automatically generate documentation for your content model.

**Prompt:**
```
Generate comprehensive documentation for my Sanity schema including
all document types, their purposes, field descriptions, and usage examples.
```

</Card>

### Content Releases

<Card title="Manage Content Releases" icon="rocket">
  Work with Sanity's content release feature.

**Prompt:**
```
List all active releases in my dataset and show me the content
changes scheduled for each release.
```

</Card>

### Performance Analysis

<Card title="Analyze Query Performance" icon="gauge-high">
  Optimize GROQ queries for better performance.

**Prompt:**
```
Analyze the performance of my most frequent GROQ queries and
suggest optimizations to improve response times.
```

</Card>

## Continuous Content Management with GitHub Actions

  This example demonstrates a **Continuous AI workflow** where content validation and schema checks run automatically in your CI/CD pipeline in headless mode using the Sanity agent config. Consider [remixing this agent](/guides/understanding-configs#how-to-get-started-with-hub-configs) to add your organization's specific content governance rules.

### Add GitHub Secrets

Navigate to **Repository Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions** and add:

- `CONTINUE_API_KEY`: Your Continue API key from [continue.dev/settings/api-keys](https://continue.dev/settings/api-keys)
- `SANITY_PROJECT_ID`: Your Sanity project ID
- `SANITY_DATASET`: Your Sanity dataset name (usually "production")
- `SANITY_API_TOKEN`: Your Sanity API token with appropriate permissions
- `MCP_USER_ROLE`: Your MCP user role (typically "admin" or "editor")

<Info>
  The workflow uses the [Sanity Assistant Agent](https://continue.dev/continuedev/sanity-assistant-agent) with environment variable authentication via [Sanity MCP Config](https://continue.dev/sanity/sanity-mcp-config). This enables headless mode operation without OAuth browser authentication.
</Info>

### Create Workflow File

This workflow automatically validates your Sanity schemas and content on pull requests using the Continue CLI in [headless mode](/cli/overview#headless-mode%3A-production-automation). It checks schema integrity, validates content relationships, and posts a summary report as a PR comment.

Create `.github/workflows/sanity-content-validation.yml` in your repository:

```yaml
name: Sanity Content Validation with MCP

on:
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]
  workflow_dispatch:

jobs:
  validate-content:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    env:
      CONTINUE_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.CONTINUE_API_KEY }}
      SANITY_PROJECT_ID: ${{ secrets.SANITY_PROJECT_ID }}
      SANITY_DATASET: ${{ secrets.SANITY_DATASET }}
      SANITY_API_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SANITY_API_TOKEN }}
      MCP_USER_ROLE: ${{ secrets.MCP_USER_ROLE }}

    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Set up Node.js
        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: "18"

      - name: Install Sanity CLI
        run: |
          npm install -g @sanity/cli
          echo "✅ Sanity CLI installed"

      - name: Install Continue CLI
        run: |
          npm install -g @continuedev/cli
          echo "✅ Continue CLI installed"

      - name: Validate Schema Structure
        run: |
          echo "🔍 Validating schema structure..."
          cn --agent continuedev/sanity-assistant-agent \
             -p "Analyze the Sanity schema for any structural issues,
                 missing required fields, or broken references between document types." \
             --auto

      - name: Check Content Integrity
        run: |
          echo "📊 Checking content integrity..."
          cn --agent continuedev/sanity-assistant-agent \
             -p "Run GROQ queries to identify any orphaned documents,
                 broken references, or missing required fields in the content." \
             --auto

      - name: Generate Schema Documentation
        run: |
          echo "📝 Generating schema documentation..."
          cn --agent continuedev/sanity-assistant-agent \
             -p "Generate a markdown summary of all schema changes
                 in this PR and their potential impact on existing content." \
             --auto > schema-changes.md

      - name: Comment Report on PR
        if: always() && github.event_name == 'pull_request'
        env:
          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
        run: |
          REPORT=$(          cn --agent continuedev/sanity-assistant-agent \
             -p "Generate a concise summary (200 words or less) of:
                 - Schema validation results
                 - Content integrity checks
                 - Any breaking changes detected
                 - Recommended actions before merging" \
             --auto)

          gh pr comment ${{ github.event.pull_request.number }} --body "$REPORT"
```

<Info>
  Environment variables enable the MCP to authenticate without OAuth browser prompts. The [Sanity MCP Config](https://continue.dev/sanity/sanity-mcp-config) documentation provides detailed setup instructions for all required variables.
</Info>

## Content Management Best Practices

Implement automated content quality checks using Continue's rule system. See the [Rules deep dive](/customize/deep-dives/rules) for authoring tips.

<Card title="Schema Validation" icon="check-circle">
  ```bash
  "Before deploying schema changes, validate that all required fields
  are present and that no breaking changes affect existing content."
  ```
</Card>

<Card title="Content Consistency" icon="shield-exclamation">
  ```bash
  "When creating new content types, ensure they follow the existing
  naming conventions and field patterns established in the schema."
  ```
</Card>

<Card title="Query Optimization" icon="gauge-high">
  ```bash
  "Review GROQ queries for performance issues and suggest indexes
  or query restructuring to improve response times."
  ```
</Card>

<Card title="Localization Standards" icon="check-double">
  ```bash
  "Ensure all user-facing content fields have proper localization
  support configured for the required languages."
  ```
</Card>

## Troubleshooting

### Authentication Issues

```bash
"Check if I'm properly authenticated with Sanity.
If not, help me set up OAuth or API token authentication."
```

### Schema Not Found

```bash
"Verify that the Sanity project is properly configured
and that the schema files are accessible in the current directory."
```

### GROQ Query Errors

```bash
"Debug this GROQ query and explain why it's failing,
then provide a corrected version that achieves the intended result."
```

### Migration Conflicts

<Check>
  **Verification Steps:**
  - Sanity MCP is installed via [Continue Mission Control](https://continue.dev/sanity/sanity-mcp)
  - Project is authenticated with Sanity
  - Schema files are present and valid
  - Dataset permissions are correctly configured
</Check>

## What You've Built

After completing this guide, you have a complete **AI-powered content management system** that:

- ✅ Uses natural language — Simple prompts instead of complex CMS commands
- ✅ Manages schemas automatically — AI handles schema evolution and migrations
- ✅ Runs continuously — Automated validation in CI/CD pipelines
- ✅ Ensures quality — Content checks prevent broken references and invalid data

<Card title="Continuous AI" icon="rocket">
  Your content management workflow now operates at **[Level 2 Continuous
  AI](https://blog.continue.dev/what-is-continuous-ai-a-developers-guide/)** -
  AI handles routine content operations and schema management with human oversight
  through review and approval of changes.
</Card>

## Next Steps

1. **Explore your schema** - Try the schema exploration prompt on your current project
2. **Run GROQ queries** - Use natural language to query your content
3. **Set up CI validation** - Add the GitHub Actions workflow to your repo
4. **Create documentation** - Generate comprehensive docs for your content model
5. **Optimize performance** - Analyze and improve query performance

## Additional Resources

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Sanity Documentation" icon="book" href="https://www.sanity.io/docs">
    Complete Sanity platform documentation
  </Card>
  <Card title="Continue Mission Control" icon="plug" href="https://continue.dev">
    Explore more MCP integrations and agents
  </Card>
  <Card
    title="GROQ Documentation"
    icon="code"
    href="https://www.sanity.io/docs/groq"
  >
    Learn GROQ query language
  </Card>
  <Card
    title="Sanity MCP Blog Post"
    icon="newspaper"
    href="https://www.sanity.io/blog/introducing-sanity-model-context-protocol-server"
  >
    Official Sanity MCP introduction with examples
  </Card>
  <Card
    title="Sanity MCP Setup"
    icon="puzzle-piece"
    href="https://www.sanity.io/docs/compute-and-ai/mcp-server"
  >
    Official Sanity MCP documentation
  </Card>
</CardGroup>