# Sanity ## Sanity Agency ![Sanity-Logo](https://www.digit-one.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fp48sl94f%2Fproduction%2F89e3291aae636d4ff2b33dcdfc6d2ab82f16b403-1000x450.svg&w=1920&q=75) ![Sanity-Logo (invertiert)](https://www.digit-one.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fp48sl94f%2Fproduction%2F61f1f11fde5c5f3650027096344b41598ea604cd-1000x450.svg&w=1920&q=75) Sanity is a headless CMS for **structured content**: website, shop, app and AI applications all draw from a single source. We are [**listed in the official Sanity partner directory**](https://www.sanity.io/agency-partners/digit-one), and this very website you are reading runs on Sanity itself. We are based in **Bregenz** and work with teams in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. ## Content that can do **more** than a website Digit-One is a **Sanity partner**: we design the content model and Studio, build the frontend and keep looking after your website beyond go-live. ## Why Sanity? Content as structured data Most CMS store content as finished pages: text, images and layout glued together. Sanity does it differently and stores content as **structured data**. A product, a team profile or a case study exists once, cleanly organised into fields, and every application picks exactly the parts it needs: the website today, the newsletter tomorrow, the app the day after. The second big argument: **content that does not stick to the design**. In classic systems, the design is tied to the CMS, so a redesign quickly turns into a rebuild. With Sanity, the frontend is decoupled. You can completely redesign your website, connect new channels or switch technologies, and your content stays in place. Because it lives as structured data, you can also export it via the API. And the editing interface? **Sanity Studio is not off-the-shelf software** but is configured for your team: your content types, your workflows, your validations. What your team doesn't need simply isn't there. What it uses daily sits right up front. ### Ready for AI search Sanity itself now calls itself a [**Content Operating System**](https://www.sanity.io/docs/getting-started/the-sanity-content-operating-system-an-introduction) and positions itself for content that is used from websites to AI agents. Structured content is clearly organised, and that helps search engines and AI systems read it unambiguously. There is no guarantee of being cited in AI answers, but clean structure is a good foundation for it. That is exactly what we work on in [**SEO & AI Visibility**](https://www.digit-one.com/en/services/seo-ai-visibility). ### Sanity in one sentence Sanity is a headless CMS that stores content as **structured data**: maintained once, usable everywhere, from your website to AI applications. ### When Sanity is the right choice - Your content needs to serve multiple channels or languages - Your team wants to manage content without agency tickets - You want custom workflows instead of site-builder limits - Your website should grow with your business - Your content should be readable for AI systems too ### When it is less suitable - Your website is small, rarely changes and needs no content model of its own: a site builder is often enough - Your marketing team wants to assemble pages purely by clicking, without a content model in place first: a visual editor like the one in Storyblok often fits better - There is no budget for designing and building the Studio: Sanity requires development; the Studio is configured and built for your team Not sure? Our [comparison of Sanity, Storyblok and WordPress](https://www.digit-one.com/en/headless-cms-comparison) can help you decide. Free & non-binding Four properties that set Sanity apart from classic systems. And yes: we use all four ourselves. ## What makes Sanity special ## Structured Content Content model Multi-channel Reusable Content lives as structured data instead of rigid pages: maintained once, usable for website, shop, app and every future channel. ### Studio made to measure Customisable Workflows Open source The editing interface is configured like code: exactly your content types, your validations and your workflows, without any clutter. ### Real-time & teamwork Live editing Collaboration Versions Several people work on the same content at the same time, changes appear instantly, and a version history (retention depends on the plan) keeps them traceable. ### GROQ & APIs Queries Integrations Webhooks With the GROQ query language, every frontend fetches exactly the data it needs. APIs and webhooks connect Sanity to your systems. ## This website runs on Sanity You are reading the proof right now. When relaunching our own website, we asked ourselves the same question you are asking now: which CMS will carry the next few years? The answer was Sanity, combined with a **Next.js frontend**. Every page here is composed of **modular sections**, with more than 25 to choose from. The text fields exist in German and English, not as a copy of the page but **bilingual at field level** within the same document. And everything is maintained by the team itself: with **Visual Editing**, we see changes live on the real page before they go online. In short: **What you are reading here was maintained in Sanity.** If you want to know how that feels in everyday use, we are happy to show you live in the Studio. ### Why this should matter to you Our team maintains this website **in Sanity Studio**. We therefore know from our own experience the stumbling blocks your team may run into. ### What this website actually uses - Field-level multilingualism for German and English - Visual Editing with live preview right on the page - More than 25 modular sections, freely combinable - GROQ queries for fast, precise data delivery - Frontend hosting on Vercel ![Sanity Studio: Redaktionsoberfläche mit Dokumentliste, Live-Kommentaren und Bild-Bearbeitung](https://www.digit-one.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fp48sl94f%2Fproduction%2Fc57153e5c666da65c6a5b65c26be71df9f5d029e-1200x630.png&w=1920&q=75) [Discover all cases](https://www.digit-one.com/en/cases) Hungry for more? Discover Case Study [HARTL Haus](https://www.digit-one.com/en/cases/hartl-haus) A presentation like a house: clear, well thought out, told with aesthetic care. Built headless on Sanity, turning inspiration into planning and interest into enquiries. ![HARTL HAUS: Hand hält ein Modellhaus auf einer Wiese](https://www.digit-one.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fp48sl94f%2Fproduction%2Fb993ef4b8e592c6c5c6a9ad9c273c36b4bdf6990-1920x1382.jpg&w=1920&q=75) ## Sanity ### Agile Webdevelopment ### UI/UX Design [PROTOS](https://www.digit-one.com/en/cases/protos) Experience PROTOS® headless on Sanity: customizable product configurator, new brand style guide, well-thought-out concept, and modern design ![Protos: Kletterer mit Protos-Schutzhelmen im Schnee](https://www.digit-one.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fp48sl94f%2Fproduction%2F7b80e688a15e3147a80c8afbcf6548a13daf87eb-4096x2727.jpg&w=1920&q=75) ### Sanity ### Headless CMS ### Agile Webdevelopment ### UI/UX Design Not just our own website: we use Sanity on client projects too. ## Also built with **Sanity** For us, a Sanity project doesn't start with design but with your content. How long it takes depends on the scope: after the workshop, you get a schedule from us that fits your project. ## How we build with Sanity ## Content workshop Content types Ownership Reuse Together we clarify which content types exist, who maintains them and what should be reusable. This produces the content model, the foundation of the project. ### Schema as code Versioned Testable Traceable We build the content model as a schema in code: versioned, testable, traceable. Changes can be reviewed and traced back. ### Studio for your team Validations Field labels Previews In parallel we build the Studio with sensible validations, clear field labels and preview functions. Our standard: a new team member finds their way around without a manual. ### Frontend & Visual Editing Next.js GROQ Visual Editing We usually develop the frontend with Next.js: fast, strong for SEO and precisely connected to the Content Lake via GROQ. Visual Editing shows your team changes live. ### Migration, training, go-live Migration Redirects Training Existing content moves over in a structured way, redirects help to preserve your rankings, and your team takes the wheel. ### Operations & development Operations Updates Development After that, we remain your point of contact for operations, updates and further development, so that the Studio and the frontend grow with your team. ### From the engine room > "Sanity gives us freedom in code and you freedom in content. That's exactly why our own website runs on it." Islam, Director Web & DevOps [Get in touch](mailto:islam.mechtijev@digit-one.com) ### Islam Mechtijev ![Porträt von Islam „Sami“ Mechtijev, Director Web & Dev-Ops und Co-Founder bei Digit-One](https://www.digit-one.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fp48sl94f%2Fproduction%2Fb7efcc5ffb54b0c383108137ad22722a4107fb23-1920x1152.jpg&w=1920&q=75) Director Web & DevOps, Co-Founder @ Digit-One Your contact for Sanity projects. Get in touch for an honest assessment or a live tour of the Studio. [All insights](https://www.digit-one.com/en/insights) Knowledge to go Knowledge we collect in everyday work with Sanity, Shopify and the modern web. Unfiltered and regularly refreshed. ## Fresh from our insights [Built for Humans and AI Agents: Our First Look at Vercel Shop](https://www.digit-one.com/en/insights/vercel-shop-headless-shopify-nextjs) [PHP vulnerability php2shell: What companies need to do now](https://www.digit-one.com/en/insights/php-vulnerability-php2shell) [Getting quoted by AI: how we build sites for ChatGPT, Claude & Co.](https://www.digit-one.com/en/insights/ai-ready-websites) [+43 664 168 39 50](tel:00436641683950) Contact now Let's talk [hello@digit-one.com](mailto:hello@digit-one.com) ## What is Sanity? Sanity is a **headless CMS for structured content**: content management is decoupled from the frontend and delivers data via APIs to your website, shop or app. Two core building blocks are **Sanity Studio**, the customisable editing interface, and the **Content Lake**, the managed cloud store for your content. Among the customers Sanity names [on its own website](https://www.sanity.io/customers) are PUMA, Cloudflare and Eurostar. ### What does a Sanity agency do? A Sanity agency plans and builds your project on Sanity: from the **content model** to a tailor-made **Studio**, the **frontend** and the integrations with your systems. At Digit-One, this also includes migrating existing content, training your team and ongoing operations. We are a Sanity partner based in Bregenz, working with teams in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. And because our own website runs on Sanity, our advice comes from hands-on practice, not from a brochure. ### How is Sanity different from WordPress and other classic CMS? The core difference: with Sanity, the **frontend is decoupled from the CMS**, while in classic systems like WordPress, design and content are tied to the system. With Sanity this means: free choice of frontend technology, redesigns without having to recreate content, and content that serves several channels at once. Add a customisable Studio instead of rigid input masks and a hosted backend whose operation and updates Sanity takes care of. The trade-off: the Studio and the frontend have to be built, which takes development work. ### Sanity or Storyblok: which one suits us? In short: **Sanity** shines when content as structured data needs to serve many channels and the editing interface should match your workflows exactly. **Storyblok** scores with its visual editor out of the box, ideal for marketing teams that want to assemble pages themselves. We are partners of both systems and give honest advice on which one fits your team. Find out more on our [Storyblok page](https://www.digit-one.com/en/web/headless-websites/storyblok). ### When is Sanity not the right choice? There are cases where we advise against Sanity. If your website is **small**, rarely changes and needs no content model of its own, a site builder is often enough. If your marketing team wants to assemble pages **purely visually**, without a content model in place first, a visual editor like Storyblok's often fits better. And if there is no budget for design and development, Sanity is the wrong start, because the Studio is built for your team. We will tell you honestly, even if it does not end up as a Sanity project. ### Is Sanity open source, and where is our data stored? **Sanity Studio is open source** ([MIT licence](https://github.com/sanity-io/sanity)) and runs as a customisable web app within your project. Your content lives in the **Content Lake**, Sanity's managed cloud service, hosted on Google Cloud Platform. According to Sanity, content is stored in the EU/EEA, the US or regions where Sanity has an operational footprint, depending on the customer; the [list of subprocessors](https://www.sanity.io/legal/third-party-sub-processors) names Belgium as the primary processing location for Google Cloud. Sanity takes care of servers and backend updates, and through the APIs you keep access to your data. ### What about data protection and GDPR with Sanity? We say neither yes nor no across the board, because whether a project is data-protection compliant depends on configuration, data flow and contracts. What Sanity itself documents: according to its [security page](https://www.sanity.io/security), Sanity is **SOC 2 Type 2 certified** (scope: Security), and data is encrypted in transit and at rest. There is also a [**data processing addendum**](https://www.sanity.io/legal/dpa) under which Sanity acts as processor and you as controller for personal data in your content. The list of [**subprocessors**](https://www.sanity.io/legal/third-party-sub-processors) is part of that: it names, among others, Google Cloud (processing location per the list: Belgium primary, USA) and further providers, for example in the USA for Sanity's AI features. Which of these matter for your project, we clarify before the start. Hosting of the frontend, tracking, consent and third-party services matter too. We go through this with you and your data protection office before the project starts. This is not legal advice. ### How is our content backed up? On two levels. According to its own statements, Sanity continuously backs up its databases across several EU regions and can restore them up to 30 days back, while for files and images [the security page](https://www.sanity.io/security) names only 7 days. That is the platform's own safeguard. Dedicated, retrievable [**dataset backups**](https://www.sanity.io/docs/content-lake/backups) exist only in certain Enterprise plans, and they are off by default. On every plan you can **export** your content via the command line, and such exports can be automated. How much control you need, we discuss in the project. ### How much does a website with Sanity cost? Costs consist of two items: the **Sanity plan** and the **project**. Sanity offers a free plan to get started, a paid plan for teams billed per seat, and custom Enterprise contracts. You will find [current prices](https://www.sanity.io/pricing) at Sanity; we deliberately do not quote them here because they change. **Project costs** depend mainly on: - Scope and complexity of the content model - Design and the number of page types and modules - Number of languages and markets - Integrations with your systems, for example shop, ERP or CRM - Migration of existing content including redirects - Training, operations and further development after go-live After a free initial consultation, you get an honest assessment from us with a clear quote. ### How does a Sanity project work at Digit-One? In five steps: 1. **Content workshop:** we clarify content types, responsibilities and reuse. 2. **Content model and schema as code:** the foundation of the project, versioned and traceable. 3. **Studio and frontend:** the Studio for your team, the frontend usually built with Next.js, plus Visual Editing. 4. **Migration, training and go-live:** content moves over in a structured way, redirects help to preserve your rankings. 5. **Operations and further development:** we remain your point of contact after go-live. How long this takes depends on the scope. After the workshop, you get a schedule from us. ### Can we manage content ourselves, without developers? Yes, that is exactly what we build the Studio for. Your team creates pages from **ready-made modules**, edits text and images, and with **Visual Editing** sees live how a change looks on the real page. Validations catch typical mistakes before anything goes live. Training is part of the project's close, after which your team continues independently, just as ours does with this website. You usually only need developers when the content model itself is to change. ### Can Sanity handle multilingual websites and multiple markets? Yes, on two levels: Sanity supports multilingualism **at field level and at document level**, and we combine both depending on the project. At field level, languages sit side by side in the same document: maintained once, nothing drifts apart. This website is built exactly that way. At document level, each language or market gets its own linked document: ideal when content differs from market to market. This lets us model not only **languages, but also markets and languages within markets**, for example country-specific content within a shared language. ### Is it possible to migrate to Sanity? Yes. We start with an **audit of content, structure and rankings**, build the content model and transfer your content **in a structured way rather than by copy-paste**. A clean redirect concept helps to preserve your visibility along the way. Whether WordPress, TYPO3 or another system: migration is craftsmanship, and we do it properly. ### And what if we want to switch again later? Then you take your content with you. Because Sanity stores content as **structured data**, it can be exported via APIs and export tools, machine-readable and without a proprietary page format. The Studio lives as code in your project. A system change still takes effort: the frontend reads the content via GROQ and would have to be adapted for another system. But your content belongs to you and stays portable.