Why We Use MDX for Our Blog (And You Should Too)

What is MDX?

MDX is a super-set of Markdown that lets you embed interactive JavaScript/JSX components (like React, Vue) directly within your text content. It creates dynamic, rich documentation, tutorials, or blog posts, unlike standard Markdown which is static.

Think of it this way: Markdown + JSX = MDX

It combines the simplicity of Markdown with the power of components, allowing for live examples, charts, and reusable UI elements. However, it requires a build step and compiler to function, as browsers can't read it natively.

Why MDX Over Plain Markdown?

Let me break down the key differences:

Markdown

• Simple and static
• Great for plain text content
• No interactive components
• No build process needed
• Perfect for basic documentation

MDX

• Adds dynamic components and interactivity
• Can embed live code examples
• Reusable UI elements
• Requires a build process (like Webpack or Next.js)
• Perfect for technical documentation and interactive tutorials

How We Use MDX on KuduTek.com

Our blog is built entirely on MDX, and here's why it's perfect for our needs:

1. Rich Content with Frontmatter

Each blog post starts with YAML frontmatter that defines the metadata:

---
title: "Post Title"
date: "2025-12-08"
excerpt: "Brief description"
category: "Technical Deep-Dive"
author: "Jon Muller"
featured: true
---

We use special remark plugins to parse this frontmatter:

• remark-frontmatter: Parses the YAML frontmatter
• remark-mdx-frontmatter: Exports it as a named export, preventing it from rendering as text

2. Interactive Components (Coming Soon)

While we currently use MDX primarily for its Markdown capabilities, we have the power to add interactive React components whenever we need them. For example, we could add:

• Live code playgrounds
• Interactive Excel demonstrations
• Custom UI components for product showcases
• Embedded charts and data visualizations
• Custom call-to-action boxes

3. Type-Safe Content with TypeScript

Our MDX setup integrates seamlessly with Next.js 14 and TypeScript, giving us:

• Type-safe component props
• Intellisense when writing posts
• Compile-time error checking
• Better developer experience

Our MDX Configuration

Here's how we configured MDX in our Next.js project:

// next.config.mjs
import createMDX from '@next/mdx'
import remarkFrontmatter from 'remark-frontmatter'
import remarkMdxFrontmatter from 'remark-mdx-frontmatter'

const withMDX = createMDX({
  extension: /\.mdx?$/,
  options: {
    remarkPlugins: [
      remarkFrontmatter,
      [remarkMdxFrontmatter, { name: 'frontmatter' }]
    ],
    rehypePlugins: [],
  },
})

export default withMDX(nextConfig)

This configuration:

1. Enables .mdx file support
2. Parses YAML frontmatter properly
3. Prevents frontmatter from rendering in the content
4. Integrates with Next.js App Router

The Benefits We've Experienced

1. Better Developer Experience

Writing in Markdown is fast and familiar, but having the option to drop in JSX components gives us flexibility when we need it.

2. Clean Separation of Content and Presentation

Content lives in .mdx files, while styling and layout are handled by our BlogPostLayout component. This makes it easy to update the design without touching content.

3. SEO-Friendly

MDX compiles to static HTML, which is perfect for SEO. Search engines can crawl and index all our content.

4. Version Control Friendly

Since MDX files are just text, they work perfectly with Git. We can track changes, review edits, and maintain a complete history.

5. Fast Performance

With Next.js's static generation, our MDX content is compiled at build time, resulting in lightning-fast page loads.

Common Use Cases for MDX

Based on the MDX ecosystem, here are popular use cases:

Technical Documentation

• Creating interactive API docs (like Storybook, Next.js docs)
• Component libraries with live examples
• Developer guides with embedded code playgrounds

Blog Posts & Tutorials

• Showing live code examples that readers can interact with
• Embedding custom UI elements
• Creating dynamic content experiences

Presentation Decks

• Building presentations with Markdown and components
• Tools like MDX Deck let you create slide decks with code

MDX vs. Other Solutions

We considered several options before choosing MDX:

| Solution | Pros | Cons | |----------|------|------| | Plain Markdown | Simple, no build step | No interactivity, limited styling | | Rich Text CMS | User-friendly UI | Vendor lock-in, less control | | MDX | Best of both worlds | Requires build process | | JSX Only | Full control | Harder to write content |

MDX won because it gives us the writing experience of Markdown with the power of React when we need it.

Getting Started with MDX

If you're building a Next.js blog or documentation site, here's the quick setup:

# Install dependencies
npm install @next/mdx remark-frontmatter remark-mdx-frontmatter

# Create next.config.mjs (see configuration above)

# Create your first .mdx file
# Start writing!

What's Next for Our MDX Setup?

We're planning to leverage more of MDX's capabilities:

1. Interactive Excel Demos: Embed live XLNavigator demonstrations
2. Code Playgrounds: Let readers experiment with code examples
3. Custom Components: Create reusable elements for better storytelling
4. Data Visualizations: Show product metrics and growth charts

Conclusion

MDX has been a game-changer for our blog. It gives us the simplicity of Markdown for everyday writing, with the power to add interactive React components whenever we need them.

If you're building a technical blog, documentation site, or any content-heavy project with Next.js or React, I highly recommend giving MDX a try. The learning curve is minimal if you already know Markdown, and the possibilities are endless.

Key Takeaway: MDX is Markdown with superpowers. It's perfect for developers who want to write content quickly while maintaining the flexibility to create rich, interactive experiences.

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Want to see how we built this blog? Check out our GitHub repository or read about the tech stack behind KuduTek.