Building an AI-Powered Blog with Next.js and MCP

Introduction

This blog represents a modern approach to content management, combining the power of Next.js, PostgreSQL, and AI-driven automation through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). In this post, I'll walk you through how this platform was built and how it enables automated content creation using AI.

The Technology Stack

The blog is built on a robust, production-ready stack:

• Next.js 16 - React framework with server-side rendering and API routes
• PostgreSQL - Reliable relational database for content storage
• TypeScript - Type-safe development
• OAuth2 - Secure authentication for AI clients
• MCP (Model Context Protocol) - Standardized AI integration

Architecture Overview

The blog follows a three-tier architecture:

1. Frontend Layer

Built with Next.js, the frontend provides a fast, SEO-friendly experience with:

• Server-side rendering for optimal performance
• Automatic cache revalidation (60-second intervals)
• Dark mode support
• Responsive design with CSS Modules

2. API Layer

Next.js API routes handle:

• /api/oauth/token - OAuth2 token generation
• /api/mcp/sse - Server-Sent Events for MCP protocol
• /api/posts - RESTful post management

3. Database Layer

PostgreSQL stores all content with a simple but effective schema:

• posts - Blog articles with HTML content
• users - Admin authentication
• mcp_apps - OAuth2 client credentials
• mcp_tokens - Access tokens for AI clients

AI-Powered Content Creation

The most innovative feature is the MCP integration, which allows AI assistants to create and manage content automatically.

How It Works

1. Authentication - AI clients authenticate via OAuth2 using client credentials
2. Connection - Establish SSE connection to /api/mcp/sse
3. Protocol Handshake - MCP initialization with capability negotiation
4. Tool Execution - AI can call tools like create_post, list_posts, get_post

Available MCP Tools

The MCP server exposes three powerful tools:

• list_posts - Retrieve all published posts
• get_post - Fetch a specific post by slug
• create_post - Create or update posts with full HTML content

Security Considerations

Security was a top priority during development:

• DOMPurify - All HTML content is sanitized to prevent XSS attacks
• OAuth2 - Industry-standard authentication
• CORS - Properly configured for cross-origin requests
• NextAuth - Secure admin panel authentication

Deployment & Production

The blog is deployed on Render with:

• Automatic deployments from Git
• Managed PostgreSQL database
• SSL/TLS encryption via Cloudflare
• Environment-based configuration

Content Styling

Posts are stored as HTML and automatically styled using CSS Modules. The styling system includes:

• Responsive typography
• Consistent spacing and hierarchy
• Dark mode support
• Professional color palette

Future Enhancements

Planned improvements include:

• Image upload capability via MCP
• Rich text editor in admin panel
• Post scheduling and drafts
• Analytics integration
• Comment system

Conclusion

This blog demonstrates how modern web technologies can be combined with AI protocols to create a powerful, automated content management system. The MCP integration opens up exciting possibilities for AI-assisted content creation, making it possible for AI agents to contribute directly to the blog while maintaining security and content quality.

The entire system is open-source and can be adapted for various use cases beyond blogging - from documentation sites to knowledge bases to automated reporting systems.