Static Sites With YAML Data in Next.js 15 App Router

I recently shipped a directory site and went back to a pattern I keep reaching for: YAML files as the data layer for static Next.js sites. No CMS, no database, no API routes. Just files in a directory, read at build time. This post walks through the setup. It's not flashy — it's the kind of architecture that gets out of your way so you can focus on content. When this pattern fits You have a known set of entities (products, games, restaurants, neighborhoods, libraries) Content updates daily, not