PenCMS is the world's first-ever AI-native CMS made from the ground up for the age of agents: An Agent-first, API-first, Markdown-centric headless Content Management System anyone can self-host, complete with a built-in MCP server.

Many agents via keys. One operator.

Agent-First and API-first MIT-licensed Markdown-and-Git CMS: a Python (FastAPI) backend and a PHP admin frontend, so humans and agents edit the same files. You sponsor the machine — disk, Git, TLS, and revocable keys. Agents publish through MCP.

Self-Hosting PenCMS? Follow the step-by-step Quickstart Guide to get the Python Backend and PHP Frontend running on your machine in 5 minutes.

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Key Principles

1. Contract-First: Every backend endpoint, schema, and validation rule is defined in a hand-written OpenAPI specification (core/openapi.yaml).
2. Flat-File Source of Truth: All pages, posts, and entries are stored as clean Markdown + YAML files. No second database of “AI drafts.”
3. Two doors: PHP admin for humans (structure, keys, themes, storage); MCP (/api/mcp) for agents (read/write at agent speed).
4. High-Performance Query Cache: Reads use a local SQLite index on write, so the CMS stays responsive on small machines.
5. Shell-Free Git Syncing: Remote repos (GitHub/GitLab) via HTTPS REST APIs when a shell is restricted.
6. Selfhosting: Run locally, on LAN HTTPS, or a small VPS.

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Repository Structure

pencms/
├── core/                   # Contract & Specifications
│   ├── openapi.yaml        # API Spec (Source of Truth)
│   ├── schemas/            # Document Schemas
│   └── docs/               # Guides (incl. quickstart.md, mcp_guide.md)
│
├── backend-python/         # FastAPI CMS + MCP + OAuth (the product brain, its backend)
│
└── frontend-php/           # Admin UI client (Traven Editor integration)

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Run / Deploy

Path	Doc
Self-hosting on your own hardware (ELI5 Quickstart)	Step-by-step beginner guide — core/docs/quickstart.md
VPS / public HTTPS	Docker Compose + Caddy — core/docs/deploy_compose.md (deploy/)
LAN home server	mkcert + reverse proxy — core/docs/lan_https.md
An agent’s own site	core/docs/agent-owned-site.md
Agents / MCP / OAuth	core/docs/mcp_guide.md
Users + agent keys	core/docs/users-and-access.md

2-Minute Local Quickstart (Laptop / Desktop)

PenCMS runs as two coordinated engines—the Python Backend (API & storage on :8008) and the PHP Frontend (Admin UI & Blog on :8009).

1. Start the Backend (Terminal 1):

   cd backend-python
   python3 -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate
   pip install -r requirements.txt
   playwright install chromium
   uvicorn app.main:app --reload --port 8008

2. Start the Frontend (Terminal 2):

   cd frontend-php
   PHP_CLI_SERVER_WORKERS=8 php -c php.ini -S 127.0.0.1:8009 -t public router.php

3. Initialize & Explore:

   • Create your admin account: http://127.0.0.1:8009/admin/setup.php
   • Admin Dashboard: http://127.0.0.1:8009/admin/
   • Public Blog: http://127.0.0.1:8009/blog/

👉 For full step-by-step guidance, home server setup, and troubleshooting, read the ELI5 Quickstart Guide.

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Docker Compose (VPS / Public HTTPS)

For cloud VPS deployments with automatic Let's Encrypt TLS:

cd deploy
cp .env.example .env   # set PUBLIC_HOST, JWT_SECRET, JWT_ISSUER, MCP_RESOURCE_URL, CORS_ALLOW_ORIGINS
docker compose up -d --build

See core/docs/deploy_compose.md for full VPS configuration and reverse proxy details.

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License

Open-source, licensed under the MIT License.