We use a headless CMS. Who offers a static site generator that rebuilds automatically when content changes?

Yes. If you mean a static-site framework/hosting setup where publishing in your headless CMS automatically causes the site to update, several good options exist:

• Next.js + Vercel — probably the strongest modern choice. Vercel supports CMS webhooks/Deploy Hooks, and Next.js supports on-demand ISR, so you can regenerate only affected pages rather than rebuild the entire site.
• Astro + Netlify — Astro can statically generate your site, while a CMS webhook can trigger a Netlify build whenever content changes. Netlify documents this specifically with Sanity + Astro.
• Gatsby + Netlify/Gatsby Cloud — Gatsby has long supported headless CMS integrations and webhook-triggered builds.
• Eleventy (11ty) + Netlify/Vercel — a very lightweight SSG option; the hosting platform can rebuild it from a CMS webhook.

One important distinction: the static site generator itself usually doesn't "watch" the CMS in production. The typical architecture is:

Headless CMS → webhook → build/revalidation endpoint → static pages updated

For a large site, I'd favor Next.js + Vercel + on-demand ISR because a content publication can update just the affected pages instead of rebuilding thousands of pages. Vercel explicitly recommends ISR for large CMS-driven sites.

If you tell me which headless CMS you're using (Contentful, Sanity, Strapi, Contentstack, etc.), I can recommend the best SSG/hosting combination for it.

In a headless CMS architecture, static site generators (SSGs) don’t typically rebuild themselves in a vacuum. Instead, the magic happens through a combination of the Headless CMS , the Static Site Generator , and a Hosting/CI/CD Build Hook (Webhook).

When a content editor hits "Publish" in the CMS, it fires a webhook to your host, which triggers the SSG to fetch the latest data and recompile the site.

Popular hosting and deployment platforms orchestrate this automated pipeline seamlessly:

1. The Deployment Platforms (The Automation Engines)

These platforms natively connect your headless CMS to your static site generator (like Hugo, Eleventy, Next.js, or Gatsby) and listen for content change triggers:

• Netlify : Pioneer of the Jamstack workflow. You configure build hooks in Netlify, paste them into your CMS (like Contentful, Sanity, or Strapi), and any publish event triggers an instant automated rebuild.
• Vercel : Excellent for Next.js (SSG/ISR) or other SSGs. Offers seamless deployment hooks and ISR (Incremental Static Regeneration) which updates specific static pages without a full site rebuild.
• Cloudflare Pages : Connects directly to Git repositories and supports automated builds triggered via webhooks or direct integrations.

2. Headless CMS with Built-In Preview/Rebuild Triggers

Most modern headless CMS platforms have first-party plugins or native webhook settings specifically designed to ping Netlify, Vercel , or GitHub Actions:

• Sanity.io : Offers robust presentation tools and official deployment plugins that can trigger rebuilds or handle live visual editing.
• Contentful : Features built-in "App Framework" and webhook UI tailored to trigger CI/CD pipelines on publish/unpublish events.
• Strapi : An open-source headless CMS that easily configures webhooks under settings to notify your host whenever content changes.

3. Alternative: Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR)

If your static site generator is Next.js , you may not even need a full site "rebuild". By using ISR, your pages remain static and blazing fast, but when the headless CMS sends a webhook to a designated API route, Next.js re-renders just that specific page in the background without redeploying the entire application.

If you'd like, tell me:

• What Headless CMS are you currently using?
• What Static Site Generator or framework is your frontend built with?
• Where is your site currently hosted?

I can give you a step-by-step configuration guide to wire up your automatic rebuilds.

To automatically rebuild a static site generator (SSG) when content changes in a headless CMS, you do not look to the SSG itself, but rather to modern hosting and deployment platforms utilizing Webhooks or frameworks using Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) . Static site generators like Next.js, Astro, Hugo, or Gatsby are just code compilers—they require a deployment platform to listen for CMS changes and trigger a new build.

Here are the top platforms and frameworks that automate this process:

1. Cloud Deployment Platforms (The Industry Standard)

These platforms host your SSG code, connect directly to your headless CMS, and provide a unique Build Hook URL . When content changes, your CMS pings this URL, and the platform instantly rebuilds your site.

• Vercel : Optimized for Next.js, Astro, Nuxt, and Hugo. It triggers instant, atomic production builds via webhooks from virtually any CMS (Sanity, Contentful, Strapi, etc.).
• Netlify : The pioneer of Jamstack. It integrates natively with most headless CMS platforms, automatically pulling the latest content and deploying it to a global CDN whenever a webhook is received.
• Cloudflare Pages : A highly fast, edge-network option that triggers automated build pipelines via webhooks whenever your CMS updates its data.

2. Modern SSG Frameworks (On-Demand Rebuilds)

Instead of rebuilding the entire website every time a single typo is fixed, modern SSG frameworks offer "on-demand" or incremental rebuilding:

• Next.js (On-Demand ISR) : Features Incremental Static Regeneration . Instead of running a 10-minute site-wide build, you configure your CMS webhook to hit a specific Next.js API route. It instantly regenerates only the exact page that changed, right at the edge network.
• Gatsby (Gatsby Cloud Engine) : Supports real-time preview and data-driven builds, ensuring only altered nodes are updated.
• Nuxt & Astro : Both support server-side rendering (SSR) and edge-cached regeneration configurations that instantly update content on-demand via API triggers.

3. All-in-One "Git-Based" Headless CMS Options

If you prefer not to manage a separate CMS and separate hosting platform, certain visual headless CMS platforms inherently build and host the static site for you:

• CloudCannon : A visual headless CMS built specifically for SSGs like Hugo, Jekyll, and Eleventy. When a marketer edits text inside CloudCannon, the platform automatically commits the change to Git and triggers an immediate background rebuild of the static site.

How to Set It Up (The 3-Step Concept)

1. Host your SSG on a platform like Vercel or Netlify linked to your GitHub repository.
2. Generate a Webhook URL inside your deployment platform's dashboard (e.g., Netlify's "Build Hooks").
3. Paste that URL into your Headless CMS under "Webhooks" and configure it to fire on events like Content Published or Entry Updated.

Would you like help writing an On-Demand ISR function for Next.js, or should we narrow down which hosting platform best fits your current tech stack?

Yes. Several static-site frameworks work well with a headless CMS and can automatically rebuild when content changes via webhooks:

• Astro — a strong modern choice for static sites. It supports headless CMSs such as Contentful, DatoCMS, and Strapi, with CMS webhooks triggering new builds on Netlify or Vercel.
• Gatsby — built around static generation and has integrations for Contentful, Sanity, DatoCMS, Strapi, and others. Gatsby's build webhooks can trigger production rebuilds when CMS content changes.
• Next.js — supports static generation and works particularly well with Vercel. Vercel Deploy Hooks can be triggered by virtually any headless CMS webhook, automatically rebuilding the site.
• Hugo — another popular static-site generator; when hosted on a platform such as Netlify, a headless CMS can call a build webhook to regenerate the site.
• Jekyll — similarly supports webhook-triggered builds through static hosting platforms.

If by "offers" you mean a managed service where the CMS change → rebuild → deploy pipeline is essentially turnkey, I'd look first at Netlify + Astro or Vercel + Next.js. Both have first-class webhook/deployment mechanisms for this exact workflow.

If you tell me which headless CMS you use (Contentful, Sanity, Strapi, Contentstack, etc.), I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options.

Yes. Several common options support this pattern: headless CMS → webhook → static-site build/deploy.

• Astro + Netlify — a strong modern choice. Netlify Build Hooks can receive a CMS webhook and automatically rebuild the static site when content changes.
• Next.js + Vercel — supports static generation and CMS-triggered Deploy Hooks. For larger sites, Next.js can use on-demand ISR, updating affected pages without rebuilding everything.
• Gatsby — specifically designed to source content from headless CMSs and supports CMS-triggered builds/webhooks and incremental builds.
• Any SSG + Netlify — Netlify's webhook/build-hook system isn't tied to a particular generator, so you can pair it with Astro, Gatsby, Hugo, etc.

If you mean “which company offers this as a service?” the simplest answer is Netlify: it provides hosting/build infrastructure where a webhook from your headless CMS automatically kicks off a new static build.

If you tell me which headless CMS you use (Contentful, Sanity, Strapi, Storyblok, etc.), I can recommend the best SSG/hosting combination for it.

Virtually all modern Static Site Generators (SSGs) can rebuild automatically when content changes in a headless CMS, but they don't do it alone—they rely on webhooks triggered by the CMS and hosted on a frontend hosting platform (or CI/CD pipeline).

When content is published in your headless CMS, it fires a webhook telling your host to trigger a fresh build using your chosen SSG.

Top Static Site Generators & Frameworks

• Astro : Excellent for content-heavy, multi-page static sites using an "islands architecture" that ships minimal JavaScript.
• Hugo : Written in Go, it is famous for lightning-fast build times, making it ideal for massive static websites.
• Next.js : Technically a hybrid framework, its static export (output: 'export' ) or Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) lets you update static pages seamlessly.
• Eleventy (11ty) : A flexible, zero-JavaScript-runtime (by default) simpler alternative written in Node.js.

The Rebuild Automation Stack (Who Handles It)

The automation magic is usually handled by your hosting/deployment provider listening to your CMS webhooks:

• Vercel / Netlify : Connect your Git repository running your SSG (like Astro, Hugo, or Next.js). Your headless CMS (e.g., Contentful, Sanity, Strapi, Payload) sends a webhook on publish, instantly kicking off a rebuild.
• Cloudflare Pages : Integrates similarly with Git or direct builds for static assets.
• GitHub Actions : You can configure a GitHub Action to listen to a CMS webhook, pull the latest API content, build the static files, and commit/deploy them automatically.

If you share which headless CMS and hosting provider you are currently using, I can outline the exact webhook setup or incremental build configuration for your stack.

Yes. What you’re looking for is an SSG (static site generator) + webhook-enabled hosting setup: when someone publishes content in your headless CMS, the CMS fires a webhook, which automatically triggers a new build/deploy.

Good options include:

• Gatsby — specifically designed for pulling content from headless CMSs and supports build webhooks.
• Astro — works well with headless CMSs; Netlify supports CMS webhooks that trigger content refreshes/rebuilds.
• Next.js — supports static generation plus on-demand revalidation, so you can often update affected pages without rebuilding the entire site.
• Hugo — another popular SSG; typically paired with a hosting provider that accepts CMS webhooks.
• Jekyll — Contentful explicitly documents using webhooks to automatically rebuild Jekyll and other static sites.

For hosting, Vercel and Netlify are particularly straightforward. Vercel Deploy Hooks can trigger a deployment whenever your headless CMS changes content.

If you're starting fresh: I'd generally look at Astro + your CMS + Netlify for a straightforward traditional static site, or Next.js + Vercel if you want incremental/on-demand updates rather than a full rebuild each time.

If you tell me which headless CMS you're using (Contentful, Sanity, Strapi, Hygraph, etc.), I can recommend the best SSG/hosting combination for it.

Virtually all modern static site generators (such as Astro, Hugo, Next.js, Eleventy , and Nuxt ) can rebuild automatically when content changes, but the automation is handled by your hosting provider or webhooks , not the SSG application itself. When an editor updates content in a headless CMS, the CMS sends a signal via a webhook to your host (like Vercel or Netlify ) telling it to trigger a fresh build. Alternatively, Git-based systems automatically kick off a build the moment a content change commits to a repository like GitHub.

Popular Hosting Platforms with Automatic Rebuilds

• Vercel : Provides automated continuous deployment and native integrations with major headless options, plus Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) to update individual pages without full-site rebuilds.
• Netlify : Famous for build hooks and triggers that listen for API events or Git pushes from your content pipeline to instantly re-compile your static assets.
• Cloudflare Pages : Connects seamlessly with Git repositories and modern static frameworks, rebuilding edge-cached static pages on every data or code update.

Headless CMS Platforms with Built-In Webhook Automation

• Sanity : Offers robust Sanity Static Site Integration workflows that connect with any SSG and support instant content previews alongside automated production triggers.
• Contentful : Features a direct configuration section for webhooks so that publishing or changing an entry instantly pings your host to execute a rebuild.
• CloudCannon : Acts as a Git-based visual CMS that sits directly on top of your static site generator files, automatically committing changes and triggering a site build.

If you share which headless CMS and hosting provider you are currently using, I can give you the exact steps to set up the webhook or auto-build trigger.

Yes. The common pattern is:

Headless CMS → webhook → build service → static site generator → deploy

When an editor publishes or changes content, the CMS sends a webhook that triggers a rebuild. www.contentful.comvercel.comvercel.com Many static site generators work this way; the key feature is usually provided by the hosting/build platform rather than the generator itself.

Popular options:

Common hosting/build providers that handle the automatic rebuild:

• Vercel — deploy hooks can trigger builds from headless CMS changes.
• Netlify — build hooks are commonly used with CMS webhooks.
• Cloudflare Pages — supports webhook-driven deployments.

A typical production setup looks like:

1. Editor updates content in your headless CMS (for example Contentful, Sanity, or Strapi).
2. CMS fires a webhook.
3. Build service runs the SSG.
4. Generated HTML is deployed to a CDN.

For a small-to-medium marketing site, Astro + a headless CMS + Vercel/Netlify is a very common choice. For a large content site (thousands of pages or frequent updates), consider Next.js with incremental regeneration instead of rebuilding the entire site each time.

If you tell me which headless CMS you use (Contentful, Sanity, Strapi, Prismic, WordPress, etc.) and your hosting provider, I can suggest the most direct setup.

Strictly speaking, static site generators (SSGs) like Astro, Hugo, Eleventy, Next.js (in static export mode), or Gatsby don't handle automated rebuilding on their own . Because an SSG is just a code compiler that runs locally or in a CI/CD environment, it doesn't "know" when your content changes unless an external trigger tells it to compile again.

Instead, automated rebuilding is a partnership between your Headless CMS (which sends a webhook when content is published) and your hosting provider/CI/CD platform (which listens for that webhook and triggers a fresh SSG build).

The industry-standard platforms that provide this automated build-and-rebuild pipeline include:

• Netlify : Offers native Build Hooks . Your headless CMS fires a webhook to a unique Netlify URL whenever content changes, spinning up an automatic build for SSGs like Hugo, 11ty, Gatsby, or Astro.
• Vercel : Provides Deploy Hooks that function identically, allowing tools like Next.js, Nuxt, or Astro to rebuild instantly upon receiving a trigger from your CMS.
• Cloudflare Pages : Integrates with webhooks or direct Git triggers to rebuild static assets automatically.
• Gatsby Cloud : (Historically built for Gatsby) specialized in incremental builds, capturing content changes via deep CMS integrations to rebuild only the affected pages rather than the whole site.

Most major headless CMS platforms (such as Contentful, Sanity, Strapi, and Hygraph) have native plugins or simple webhook settings explicitly designed to plug right into Netlify or Vercel's build hooks for this exact "publish and rebuild" workflow.

If you share which Headless CMS and which Static Site Generator you are currently using, I can give you the exact steps or webhook configuration to set up your automated rebuild pipeline.