Ecosystem Map
Contentrain Studio is not a separate content format. It is the team web surface for the same .contentrain/ contract used by Contentrain AI.
Two Surfaces, One Contract
- Contentrain AI is the open-source, local-first operating core: MCP, CLI, query SDK, rules, and skills.
- Contentrain Studio is the open-core team web surface: chat, review, media, forms, APIs, and CDN delivery. Teams can self-host the AGPL core or use a managed Pro/Enterprise offering.
The content model stays the same:
- content lives in Git
- schemas live in
.contentrain/models/ - content lives in
.contentrain/content/ - changes move through branches, commits, and review workflows
- delivery can happen through direct file reads, typed queries, or CDN endpoints
AI Package Bridges
| AI surface | What it does | How Studio relates | Canonical docs |
|---|---|---|---|
@contentrain/mcp | Deterministic local content operations and normalize | Studio picks up after local creation when teams need authenticated review, roles, and delivery | MCP Tools |
contentrain CLI | init, serve, generate, diff, validate | Studio becomes the team-facing surface after bootstrap and local review | CLI |
@contentrain/rules | Shared schema, quality, and workflow standards | Studio chat, review, and validation should stay aligned with the same quality model | Rules & Skills |
@contentrain/skills | Agent playbooks and workflow hints | Studio mirrors these workflows in onboarding, chat-led operations, and handoff moments | Rules & Skills |
@contentrain/query | Local typed consumption and CDN client transport | Studio extends the same content into CDN publishing and remote delivery | Query SDK |
Typical Growth Path
Most teams do not discover Contentrain through Studio first. They discover it through the AI package surface:
- Run
contentrain init - Use normalize to rescue hardcoded strings from an existing codebase
- Review and approve content changes
- Move into Studio when multiple people, review responsibilities, or delivery workflows appear
- Enable CDN or API-based delivery when content must ship beyond web runtime
That is why normalize is the wedge and Studio is the expansion surface.
When To Start In AI
Start with Contentrain AI when you need:
- local-first setup
- IDE agent workflows
- deterministic MCP operations
- hardcoded-string rescue
- package-level adoption without bringing in a full web app
When To Move To Studio
Move into Studio when you need:
- authenticated team collaboration
- project and workspace management
- branch review in a browser
- media, forms, and conversation APIs
- CDN delivery and operational visibility
Product Philosophy
- Governance, not generation — Contentrain standardizes, validates, and reviews content; your model provider still generates it.
- Git-native, not database-first — content stays versioned in Git.
- One contract, multiple surfaces — the package layer gets content into Git; Studio helps teams operate that content at scale.