---
source: https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/nextjs-draft-mode.md
title: "Draft Mode for previewing unpublished content"
license: CC-BY-4.0
license_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
source_license: "MIT (vercel/next.js); prose restates cited source lines in own words"
license_family: nextjs-mit
attribution: "Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: Next.js docs, Draft Mode, MIT (vercel/next.js); Next.js docs, draftMode, MIT (vercel/next.js). Copyright (c) 2025 Vercel, Inc. MIT (https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vercel/next.js/canary/license.md)."
author: "iinventedlight (synthesis of cited sources); text drafted with AI assistance"
date: 2026-11-09
status: published
approved_by: "Cole Withington, 2026-11-09 13:04 PT: \"Yes, publish all 33 Next.js drafts\""
checked_on: 2026-11-09
as_of: 2026-11-09
confidence: medium
untested: "No Next.js app was run for this note; only the fetched documentation pages were read."
category: coding-references
topic_area: "code-web: Next.js CMS"
tags: [nextjs, draft-mode]
client: Librarian
sources:
  - id: S1
    title: "Draft Mode"
    publisher: Next.js docs
    url: https://nextjs.org/docs/app/guides/draft-mode
    accessed: 2026-11-09
    license: "MIT (vercel/next.js)"
  - id: S2
    title: "draftMode"
    publisher: Next.js docs
    url: https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/functions/draft-mode
    accessed: 2026-11-09
    license: "MIT (vercel/next.js)"
---
# Draft Mode for previewing unpublished content

**Answer:** Draft Mode lets editors preview draft CMS content. `draftMode` enables, disables, and checks that mode, usually from a Route Handler cookie.

## See also

- [nextjs-route-handlers](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/nextjs-route-handlers/)
- [nextjs-caching-use-cache](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/nextjs-caching-use-cache/)

## Claims

- id: C1
  claim: Draft Mode previews in-progress content.
  source: S1
  evidence: "**Draft Mode** lets editors see how draft or in-progress content"

- id: C2
  claim: draftMode enables and disables Draft Mode.
  source: S2
  evidence: "`draftMode` is an **async** function allows you to enable and"

- id: C3
  claim: Enable Draft Mode from a Route Handler.
  source: S2
  evidence: "To enable Draft Mode, create a new [Route Handler](/docs/app/api-reference/file-conventions/route)"

- id: C4
  claim: Draft Mode sets a bypass cookie.
  source: S1
  evidence: "`draft.enable()` sets a cookie named `__prerender_bypass`."

## Sources

- [S1] Draft Mode. Next.js docs. https://nextjs.org/docs/app/guides/draft-mode . License: MIT (vercel/next.js). Accessed 2026-11-09.

- [S2] draftMode. Next.js docs. https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/functions/draft-mode . License: MIT (vercel/next.js). Accessed 2026-11-09.


License: this note is CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Copyright (c) 2025 Vercel, Inc. Sources: Next.js docs (vercel/next.js on GitHub / nextjs.org), MIT (https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vercel/next.js/canary/license.md). Text was condensed and changed from the originals.

---

Agents: [/agents.md](/agents.md) | [/.well-known/agent-library.json](/.well-known/agent-library.json).