Getting Started with FlowCMS

📄 8 min read • Updated Nov 12, 2025 • v3.2.1

FlowCMS is a headless content management system designed for modern development workflows. This guide will walk you through installing, configuring, and making your first API request.

1. Installation

Install the FlowCMS SDK via your preferred package manager:

bash

npm install @flowcms/sdk@latest
# or
yarn add @flowcms/sdk@latest
# or
pnpm add @flowcms/sdk@latest

ℹ️ Environment Requirement

FlowCMS requires Node.js 18+ or a modern browser environment. The SDK is fully ESM-compatible.

2. Configuration

Create a configuration file in your project root to initialize the client:

javascript

import { createClient } from '@flowcms/sdk';

const cms = createClient({
  projectId: 'proj_8x9k2m1n',
  token: process.env.FLOWCMS_TOKEN,
  region: 'us-east-1',
  preview: true // Enable draft previews
});

export default cms;

Configuration Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
`projectId`	String	Your unique workspace ID (found in Dashboard → Settings)
`token`	String	Access token with appropriate scopes
`region`	String	Datacenter region. Defaults to closest edge node.
`preview`	Boolean	Fetch unpublished drafts when enabled

3. Fetching Content

Once configured, you can retrieve content using the query builder or raw GraphQL:

javascript

// Using the query builder
const articles = await cms.contentType('articles')
  .filter({ status: 'published', category: 'tech' })
  .sort('publishedAt', 'desc')
  .take(10)
  .execute();

console.log(articles.data);

⚠️ Security Notice

Never expose your FLOWCMS_TOKEN in client-side code. Use environment variables and edge middleware for public-facing applications.

4. Setting Up Webhooks

FlowCMS supports real-time webhooks for content updates. Configure endpoints in your dashboard or via CLI:

bash

flowcms webhook create \
  --url https://api.yoursite.com/webhooks/cms \
  --events content.created,content.updated \
  --secret $WEBHOOK_SECRET

✅ Next Steps

Explore the Content Models guide or check out the GraphQL Schema reference for advanced querying patterns.