Remote Files

The remote files source acts very similarly to the files source with the difference that the content files can live outside the website folder. Using the remote files source Contentlayer will automatically sync the content files from your remote files source to your local website folder and then process them using the regular files source.

Common remote file sources including other Git repositories, databases, APIs or anywhere else where your content comes from.

#Example: Remote Git Repository

See full example here.

// NOTE we're using the `defineDocumentType` from the regular files source
import { defineDocumentType } from 'contentlayer/source-files'
import { spawn } from 'node:child_process'
import { makeSource } from 'contentlayer/source-remote-files'

const Post = defineDocumentType(() => ({
  name: 'Post',
  filePathPattern: `docs/**/*.md`,
  fields: {
    title: { type: 'string', required: false },
  },
}))

const syncContentFromGit = async (contentDir: string) => {
  const syncRun = async () => {
    const gitUrl = 'https://github.com/vercel/next.js.git'
    // TODO: git pull or git clone (see full example for working code)
  }

  let wasCancelled = false
  let syncInterval

  const syncLoop = async () => {
    await syncRun()

    if (wasCancelled) return

    syncInterval = setTimeout(syncLoop, 1000 * 60)
  }

  // Block until the first sync is done
  await syncLoop()

  return () => {
    wasCancelled = true
    clearTimeout(syncInterval)
  }
}

export default makeSource({
  syncFiles: syncContentFromGit,
  contentDirPath: 'nextjs-repo',
  contentDirInclude: ['docs'],
  documentTypes: [Post],
  disableImportAliasWarning: true,
})

#Notes

• It's recommended to add the synced content directory to your .gitignore file
• It's possible to combine the regular files source and the remote files source. You'll have to use the same root contentDirPath and put the respective content in different sub directories.

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