Services

Gatsby to Next.js Migration for Teams Hitting Platform Limits

Use this page if Gatsby still ships, but slow builds, difficult updates, plugin fragility, or preview limitations are already slowing releases and raising platform risk.

Move off Gatsby before slow builds, brittle plugins, and awkward content updates start blocking delivery.

Typical symptoms

  • Build times are rising as the site or content footprint grows.
  • Plugin and image workflows are creating operational drag.
  • Teams want a more flexible rendering model and deployment setup.

Likely causes

  • Static generation is carrying work that should be incremental or server‑driven.
  • The Gatsby setup has accumulated brittle plugin dependencies.
  • Preview and editorial needs are no longer well served by the current build model.

What I look at first

  • Quick check: inspect the slowest build stages, preview path, and plugin dependencies on the routes that change most often.
  • How content sourcing, images, preview, and page creation are implemented.
  • What should be preserved and simplified in the move to Next.js.

How I help fix this

  • Map the Gatsby features and content model to a cleaner Next.js target.
  • Reduce unnecessary build complexity during the migration plan.
  • Support the delivery path into a more flexible platform.

When to bring me in

  • Bring me in when every increase in content or route count makes Gatsby harder to trust.
  • Bring me in before the migration recreates Gatsby‑era complexity inside a new framework.

Related project experience

  1. IMG
    Licensing

    An all‑new identity and website. Making careful use of their extensive library of client imagery, this was a ground‑up build using Gatsby, Contentful, and Netlify for this world‑leading licensing company.

    Screenshot of the IMG Licensing website; part of John Kavanagh's development portfolio.

  2. Red
    Central

    A bold, media‑led website to bring the passion and personality of this digital design studio online. Built using Gatsby, TypeScript, GraphQL, and Contentful.

    Screenshot of the Red Central website; part of John Kavanagh's development portfolio.

  3. ToyBoxX

    'The Jewel of the North', ToyBoxX is a hyper‑creative recording studio that needed a hyper‑creative website to attract talent to their state‑of‑the‑art recording facility.

    Screenshot of the ToyBoxX website; part of John Kavanagh's development portfolio.

  4. Wreel
    Agency

    Technical director and lead developer for this digital‑centric design agency. A vibrant, animated, and engaging website developed using Gatsby, React, TypeScript, and Contentful.

    Screenshot of the Wreel Agency website; part of John Kavanagh's development portfolio.

Supporting technical articles

Related services

  1. Parent hub

    Migrations to Next.js

    Choose the right Next.js migration path when an older front end, legacy platform, or hard‑to‑maintain site needs a cleaner architecture and safer migration plan.

  2. Capability

    Next.js Platform Consulting

    Bring in senior Next.js architecture support when a legacy platform, older front end, or hard‑to‑maintain site needs migration planning, platform rescue, and clearer delivery direction.

  3. Adjacent scenario

    WordPress to Next.js Migration

    Move a WordPress‑led front end to Next.js when speed, scale, and maintainability all need to improve without losing URLs, preview trust, or editorial continuity.

  4. Adjacent scenario

    Drupal to Next.js Migration

    Move a Drupal‑led estate to Next.js without losing aliases, preview behaviour, or SEO continuity on content‑heavy routes.

  5. Related page

    Vercel Deployment Debugging

    Choose the right Vercel production fix when builds, deployments, revalidation, or auth are blocking release confidence.

Questions teams usually ask

Is Gatsby always the wrong choice now?
No. This page is for teams whose current Gatsby build model, preview workflow, or plugin dependency chain is now slowing delivery enough to justify a move, not for every Gatsby site by default.
Can the migration simplify the platform as well as change the framework?
Yes. That is usually where the value comes from. The move is a chance to remove brittle plugin and build complexity rather than recreate it in a new framework.

Send me the details

Send me the affected page or route, point me at the code if that helps, and tell me what you expected to happen versus what is happening now. If this connects to a Next.js migration, technical SEO drop, performance issue, launch, or platform move, include that context too. I'll come back with the clearest next step.

Send the details
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