CMS for Hugo sites clients actually use.
Hugo already keeps content in Markdown, in Git. CMS Brew adds the missing piece: your client edits by chat, and every publish is a plain commit.
No credit card, cancel anytime.
The Hugo handoff problem
Hugo got the content model right: Markdown files, front matter, a config, all in Git. The handoff is what is missing. The classic answer is a Git-based admin panel like Decap, which means maintaining a config.yml, wiring an OAuth login now that Netlify Identity is deprecated, and training the client on a form UI they use twice a year. The alternatives are a paid per-editor platform, or you doing every edit yourself.
CMS Brew skips the panel. It maps the editable content in your repository automatically, front matter included, your client describes the change in chat, and each publish is one commit that triggers your normal Hugo build.
Made for Hugo's content model
Markdown files, front matter, and images. CMS Brew maps your existing content automatically and scopes edits per page, so the client edits the page they mean.
No admin panel to ship
Nothing is added to your site and there is no /admin to host, update, or secure. CMS Brew works from the repository side and ships sign-in out of the box: Google, or a 6-digit email code.
Safe enough for clients
Per-field guard levels decide what publishes freely and what waits for review, and requests for new pages, layout, or code are refused in the chat and escalated to you with the client's words attached.
Side by side
CMS Brew vs Git-based admin panel
| CMS Brew | Git-based admin panel | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup per site | Connect the GitHub repository. Content is mapped automatically. | Write and maintain a config file describing collections and fields. |
| What the client sees | A chat. They describe the change in plain words and watch a live preview. | A form admin at /admin with collections and widgets to learn. |
| Client sign-in | Built in: Google or an emailed 6-digit code. | Bring your own OAuth app or auth bridge. |
| Review before publish | Per-field guards and a review queue, included. | Editorial workflow adds drafts, not per-field rules. |
| Out-of-scope requests | Refused in the editor and escalated to you with the client's original words. | Not a concept. The request reaches you as an email or a phone call. |
| Publishing | One commit; your host rebuilds Hugo as usual. One-click revert. | Also Git commits. Both tools keep content in your repo. |
| Price | $39/mo for 5 sites, unlimited editors, 7-day free trial. | Usually free and open source, plus your time for config and auth upkeep. |
The honest trade-off
If you already have Decap or another panel wired, with auth working and a client who knows the forms, there is no urgency to move. CMS Brew earns its fee when the panel is the problem: rare editors who forget the UI between visits, config and OAuth you would rather not maintain, and changes you want to review before they publish.
How it works
Three steps, then it's live.
- 01Connect
Point it at the site you built
CMS Brew turns it into a simple list of things your client can edit. No rebuild, no plugin.
- 02Edit
Clients edit in plain words
Your client opens a chat and says what to change: a phone number, a headline, a photo. They see it live before it ships.
- 03Publish
Safe changes go live
Safe edits publish in one click. Bigger requests, like a new page or code, come straight to you.
FAQ
What people ask before switching.
Stop being the person who updates the phone number.
Give your client the keys to the content. Keep the keys to the code.
Prefer to talk first? Book a 30-minute call