Skip to Page NavigationSkip to Page NavigationSkip to Content

Why Keystone

Keystone is a Thinkmill product. We’ve spent years shipping sophisticated solutions for large companies like Atlassian, Samsung, Qantas, Breville, and the Australian Government. We’ve also helped startups get off the ground in a way that lets them deliver immediate value and change as they learn.

Keystone solves for this spectrum of needs in a way that other backend tools and Content Management Systems cannot.

Our vision from day one has been to enable a way of building backend solutions that is productive, collaborative, and fun. A developer experience that delivers immediate value up front so you can start fast and ship at speed, without sacrificing your long view.

That’s why we built something that’s more than a backend framework, and more than a Headless CMS. It’s a platform for next-gen development workflows and evolution.

Depiction of Keystone’s Admin UI
  • The perfect abstractions for low level tasks

    Save time on the repetitive stuff. You don't have to reinvent the wheel (or learn how) every time you stand up a new project.

  • Control in the places you need it most

    When it’s time to customise for business logic, everything you need is at your fingertips. What’s not built-in won’t block you from moving forward.

  • Escape hatches where you need them

    Like React, Keystone is engineered with escape hatches in mind. So you’re not locked in to Keystone’s way of thinking, except when it works for you.

  • Built on tooling you know and love

    Keystone is built on the idea that if you understand vanilla JavaScript, you can succeed with Keystone. Increase your capability without changing lanes.

I think I'm in love. Keystone’s just what I needed: a dashboard & GraphQL API that works like a charm. As a frontend dev with skills in node and elastic search, Keystone + GraphQL just feels so right to me ❤️

Picture of Erwann Mest

Erwann Mest

Lead Frontend Engineer | Contexte

Made for teams

It takes a village to build and nurture great digital experiences. Keystone enables a content culture where everybody gets what they need to do their best work.

Features

What’s in the box?

Everything you need to start fast and scale sustainably. We’ve done the heavy lifting so you can work on what matters without getting boxed in.

  • Automated CRUD

    Out of the box data ops for every field type. A powerful GraphQL API from day one.

    Access control API →

  • Extensible GraphQL API

    Extend the CRUD API for more control over what you do. Customise it to your frontend needs.

    Try the example →

  • Next-gen WYSIWYG

    Highly configurable. Design systems friendly. BYO custom React components. Structured JSON output.

    Try the editor →

  • Session management

    Start and end sessions from the GraphQL API. Secure your data using access control.

    Session API →

  • 100% Typescript

    Ship fewer bugs with a statically typed workflow. Get Keystone type definitions as you write.

  • Custom roles & access

    Build your own roles-based access controls. No limits on the amount and kind of roles you can configure.

    Access Control API →

  • Flexible relationships

    One to one. One to many. Many to many. Self referential. It’s all there.

    Relationships guide →

  • Powerful filtering

    Find what you need when you need it with intuitive filters.

    Query Filters guide →

  • Database migrations

    Keep your database in sync with schema thanks to Prisma.io migrations.

  • Extensive field types

    An editing environment you can shape to the needs of any project. No boilerplate. Everything as you make it.

    Fields API →

  • Event Hooks

    Put custom logic in your data ops. Modify data, trigger events, validate inputs – it’s up to you.

    Hooks guide →

  • Intuitive CLI

    Kickstart new projects and try examples on for size from the comfort of your terminal.

    CLI guide →

I’m blown away by the amount of time I can save with Keystone. What used to take 30 days in Express now takes 3 or less, not to mention the Database and Admin UI I get for free.

Picture of Noorullah Ahmadzai

Noorullah Ahmadzai

Software Engineer | Gamerina

Solutions

What will you build?

Naturally, it’s up to you. Here’s some things we've used Keystone for:

  • Apps

    A programmable backend you can rely on for Web and Native apps of all sizes. Start with Keystone’s built-in features then add your own, and integrate 3rd-party systems or microservices.

    You can control data input exclusively from your frontend, or use Keystone’s intuitive and customisable CMS when you need it.

    Try the Task Manager example →

  • Websites

    From simple blog, to complex multi-brand site networks, Keystone’s the backend fit for modern web experiences. It’s a CMS that ships with no hard opinions, so you can build the fields and types you actually need. And a WYSIWIG you can plug custom components into, that outputs structured JSON.

    Give your content people the tools they need to do their best work.

    Try the Blog example →

Wes Bos Avatar

Learn Keystone for eCommerce with Wes Bos

Master eCommerce with Keystone, React, & GraphQL. Join Wes as he teaches you how to build a full-stack online store with today's best JavaScript technology.

  • 11 modules
  • 70 videos
  • 28,000 students

Multichannel

Use an API-first content platform to unlock the power of multichannel content ops. Connect to your audience where they want to be. Ship content to any frontend over performant APIs. Use the built-in GraphQL Playground to query with ease.

Keystone powers my interactive photo booth and AR lottery at Chandon Winery. I love how easy it was to turn a series of connected prototypes into a stable final build. The perfect balance of reliability and flexibility for backend work.

@makezap user image@makezap

Start building today.

  • 5 minute starters
  • Example projects
  • Free forever
  • No lock-in
npm create keystone-app@latest
Get started