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Part of Eidra

Sanity is transforming from CMS to Content Operating System (COS)

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2 min read

A speaker presenting at the Sanity Everything Conference in NYC. The man is standing on stage with a microphone, wearing a suit. Behind him is a large presentation screen displaying the names Simen Svale and Magnus Hillestad, alongside a black and white portrait of a man with glasses and a beard. The stage setup includes chairs and a couch, suggesting a panel discussion or fireside chat format.

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As a Sanity partner we at Umain & Eidra participated at the Sanity Everything Conference in NYC in September 2025, the core message was clear: Sanity is redefining the CMS as a Content Operating System (COS)—an engineering platform that turns content into the hub of rules, workflows, and data.

The Real Opportunity: The 80% Before Content Hits the CMS

Friction lives in spreadsheets, emails, and rigid processes—the 80% Deane Barker called out in 2006. Sanity tackles this with:

  • Schema-aware AI agents in the dashboard that run APIs, summarize feedback, and trigger actions.
  • Actions API + App SDK to create views and task-specific tools for content teams.

AI Done Right: Narrow, High-Impact, Back-Office Wins

Sanity’s ROI formula:

  1. Embed AI deeply in workflows.
  2. Start with operational wins, not AI slop content.
  3. Keep humans in control—assistive, not autonomous (The Met’s case study was shown).

From Headless to Intelligent: The Evolution of Content Architecture

Sanity CEO Magnus Hillestad envisions a future where "content is data," empowering teams to build exceptional digital experiences through APIs that optimize workflows and enable seamless sharing across systems. This intelligent evolution means:

  • Content as a programmable surface rather than a static storage endpoint
  • Composable workflows that adapt dynamically to team and business needs, not rigid templates
  • Structured content as the foundation for seamless human-AI collaboration

For enterprise teams, the impact is transformative: Content shifts from a final pre-publication step to the central nervous system, intelligently connecting strategy, creation, and multi-channel delivery—unlocking velocity and innovation at scale.

Key Takeaways

Sanity's evolution represents more than a product pivot—it signals a fundamental rethinking of how organizations should approach content operations. At Umain, we see three critical implications:

  1. We are not mere a CMS implementer, we help set up, consult and implement content operation processes and best practices around content too.
  2. Content strategy must precede technology decisions, not follow them
  3. The divide between technical and editorial teams is becoming obsolete, working together is key
  4. AI's real value lies in augmenting and scaling human creativity, not replacing it

As we guide clients through digital transformation, we have developed a Content-First approach model that offers a powerful framework for building systems that scale. A robust content strategy defines your operational needs, governance model, and structural requirements—creating the blueprint that technology should serve. Without this foundation, even the most advanced COS will amplify existing problems rather than solve them.

At Umain, we’ve seen it firsthand: clients who lock in content strategy before picking tools launch 40% faster than those treating it as an afterthought.

The COS model thrives on that clarity—not as a magic fix, but as a precision engine. The best implementations don’t let AI steal the spotlight. Instead, AI plays co-pilot: removing grunt work, surfacing insights, and keeping humans firmly in control of meaning and impact.

That’s how you turn intelligent workflows into real velocity.