03
A private web platform connecting members through content, profiles, companies and events, with a Next.js frontend powered by the existing WordPress back office.
- Client
- MyCluster Montagne
- Year
- 2025
- Role
- Fullstack Developer
- Status
- Completed
Context
MyCluster Montagne is a private platform for members of the cluster.
The platform works as a private social space where members can publish content, like and comment on posts, manage their profile, discover other companies in the cluster and follow the organisation's events.
The project also included the institutional Cluster Montagne website.
Rather than creating a second back office for the private platform, the decision was to keep the administration and data in the existing Cluster Montagne WordPress installation and expose the required data and actions through an API to the Next.js platform.
Challenges
Private authentication
The platform is private and requires an authentication system to control access for members.
Frontend-to-back-office actions
The platform is not simply consuming content from WordPress. Members can create content directly from the platform, which means the frontend needs to send actions back to WordPress and create content in the back office.
Shared back-office architecture
The platform had to work alongside the existing Cluster Montagne website without creating a second independent back office.
Technical Decisions
One WordPress back office, two experiences
The existing Cluster Montagne WordPress installation remains the central administration and content source.
The private platform consumes the required data through an API instead of introducing a second back office.
This reduced duplicated administration and avoided unnecessary development.
Next.js frontend
The private platform was built with Next.js to support a much more application-oriented experience than a traditional content-driven website.
The architecture needed to handle authentication, user interactions, content creation and communication with the existing WordPress backend.
Workflow
- 01
Architecture
Define the relationship between the existing WordPress installation and the new private platform. The goal was to keep the existing back office while exposing the required data and functionality through an API.
- 02
Platform development
Build the authenticated Next.js frontend and its different experiences: - private content feed - publishing - likes - comments - profiles - company pages - events
- 03
Back-office integration
Connect frontend actions back to WordPress so that users can create and interact with content from the platform while keeping WordPress as the central administration layer.
Results
The platform is in production and actively used.
The project delivered a private member platform without introducing a second back office alongside the existing Cluster Montagne website.
It also pushed my work beyond a traditional headless website into a more application-oriented environment, with authentication, user interactions, content creation and two-way communication between the frontend and the CMS.
Conclusion
This project pushed me beyond a traditional headless website.
I had to think about the architecture as a complete application, including authentication, user interactions, content creation and communication between the frontend and the back office.
It changed the way I approached these kinds of projects and gave me experience that I could carry into the projects that followed.
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