.png){kind=small}
The Tech Stack I Recommend for Content Engineering
- Jane Haynie
- Aug 18
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 6
When you’re building a content system, the tools you choose can either make everything click or quietly create more work than they save. And here’s the thing—it’s not always about picking the tool that tops every “best of” list. Have you ever heard the phrase "the best camera is the one you have with you?" The right stack is the one you’ll actually use, that fits your way of working, and connects well with the rest of your setup.
I’ve tried more platforms, plugins, and AI assistants than I can count. That experimentation matters. It builds the kind of tool knowledge that lets you solve problems creatively and adapt when something changes.
But depth matters too.
You can’t dig a hole if you only shovel the surface, and you can’t build a real content engine if you only have a light understanding of every tool in your stack. My best results have come from going deep with a few core tools I know inside and out, while keeping a side list of “interesting” platforms to explore when time allows.
Here are a few of my personal favorites as well as some tools I intend to explore in the coming months.
Key Takeaways
The “best” tool is the one that fits your workflow and integrates seamlessly with your other systems.
Go deep on a small set of core tools rather than spreading yourself thin across dozens of platforms.
Keep experimenting with new tools, but don’t sacrifice mastery for novelty.
Integration between tools matters more than their brand name or market rank.
A strong content engineering stack connects CMS, DAM, project management, automation, AI, and analytics into one cohesive system.
Content Management and Publishing
For marketing sites and blogs, I want a CMS that can handle structured content, integrate easily with automation tools, and keep me out of plugin maintenance nightmares. Webflow is my go-to for its design flexibility and clean CMS collections. WordPress still makes sense if a client already has deep experience with it or needs the large plugin ecosystem.
Promising: Contentful
If multi-channel publishing and complex content modeling are a priority, Contentful is worth looking at. It’s not as beginner-friendly, but it’s powerful once you know your way around.
Content Storage and Asset Management
Primary: Google Drive
I'm a 100% koolaid-drinker when it comes to Google Drive. It’s not a true DAM (Digital Asset Management system), but with the right folder structure, naming conventions, and automations, Drive can be surprisingly effective. And it integrates with just about everything without a lot of headaches. I’ve set up plenty of workflows that tie Drive to briefs, ClickUp tasks, and automation triggers. It's just easy. I've occasionally wondered what it might be like to build these automations within the Microsoft ecosystem (SharePoint, Word) and part of me hopes I will never have to...
Promising: Bynder or Brandfolder
For teams with large creative libraries or strict brand governance, a DAM can prevent chaos. These platforms add metadata control, rights management, and brand portals for partners.
Project and Workflow Management
Primary: ClickUp
I love ClickUp. I've used Jira, Monday, Asana, Wrike, all the big players. ClickUp is just the easiest to manage and customize. It's missing some features within Zapier that I'd like to have access to, but for now, I seem to be able to create enough workarounds. ClickUp is the backbone for almost every content system I build. I use it for intake forms, content calendars, task routing, and status tracking—all tied together with automations.
Secondary: Notion
I have to call Notion out because I'm just super duperly duperly impressed with it. I haven't had any clients use it for, well, anything really, and I think that's really unfortunate. It's so powerful but also very open—you can build whatever you want with it relatively easily. In fact, it's so capable of doing so many things that you often open it up and wonder "what am I supposed to do with this blank page?". Don't worry, just tell ChatGPT what you're trying to do and it'll get you started!
Promising: Airtable
From what I understand, Airtable works well for database-style content management. With built-in automations and an open API, it’s great if you want custom structures without a lot of code. I haven't played around with this much yet, but it's definitely on my to-do list.
Automation Platforms
Zapier handles straightforward, high-reliability automations; it's my first choice right now because I'm still learning the technicalities of coding, APIs, and webhooks. However, Make is 100% worth learning and is my next choice for more complex logic or large-scale data flows. The next workflow I build will be in Make. I tried it a year ago and couldn't figure it out, but now that I'm comfortable with Zapier, I think I'm ready to dive in again.
Promising: n8n
Open-source and self-hostable, n8n has huge potential for advanced automation without per-task pricing. It’s a great option for teams comfortable with a bit more technical setup. This is my ultimate goal platform. In fact, if you're new to automation, I'd highly recommend learning these platforms in this order: Zapier->Make->n8n. You can jump ahead if you're brave, but I've found they are a perfect stair-step in your technical learning.
AI-Assisted Tools
ChatGPT is my go-to for structured, repeatable outputs and quick ideation. It's great for brainstorming and is also my first choice for generating first drafts. Claude often does better with long-form content, more nuanced editing, and writing code (ChatGPT rarely gets coding right, but Claude nails it almost every time). Both have a place in my daily work.
Promising: Perplexity and NotebookLM
Perplexity is shaping up to be a powerful research assistant. I’m watching it closely for use in competitive analysis and finding reputable sources to support my claims. I've just started playing with NotebookLM. It was recommended to me by a colleague and it looks like it's much better than either ChatGPT or Claude at pulling quotes and specific information out of transcripts and other documents (ChatGPT and Claude have trouble pulling exact quotes or matching the transcript with the information I'm requesting).
Analytics and Optimization
Primary: Google Analytics + Custom Dashboards
I'll be honest, I haven't experimented much on the analytics end of things. It's typically a different team that handles this aspect of content performance. But Google Analytics is my baseline for tracking content performance. I also like to connect it to dashboards that pull in CRM and campaign data so we can see the full business impact.
Promising: Looker Studio
Looker Studio is free, flexible, and great for creating visual reports that stakeholders actually want to read.
Why Integration Matters More Than the Logo on the Login Page
Even the most hyped tool will fail if it doesn’t fit into your larger system. The real magic in content engineering comes from choosing the tools that play best in the sandbox with the rest of your ecosystem—and your own personal preferences.
So yes, experiment with tools. Learn what’s out there. But don’t get stuck skimming the surface of dozens of platforms. Pick a few you love, learn them deeply, and build your content engine around them, while always leaving room to test something new when it seems like it could make the whole system stronger.
If you want to see how this fits into the bigger picture, check out my What is Content Engineering? post—this tech stack is the backbone of everything I describe there.
Content Engineering Tools FAQ
What is the most important tool in a content engineering stack?
The most important tool is the one you can master and fully integrate into your workflows. For me, that’s ClickUp for project management because it connects requests, timelines, and assets in one place.
Why not just use the most popular tools?
Popular tools aren’t always the best fit for your specific processes or budget. Choosing tools that match your workflow ensures they get used effectively and connect well with your other systems.
How often should I test new tools?
Test new tools when you have the time to explore without disrupting core work. I keep a running list and evaluate them periodically to stay aware of better options without sacrificing mastery of my main stack.
Do I need a true DAM system?
You don’t always need a dedicated Digital Asset Management (DAM) platform. Smaller teams can get great results from Google Drive with the right structure and automations, but large or complex libraries benefit from a true DAM like Bynder or Brandfolder.
Can one person manage a full content engineering stack?
Yes, one person can manage it if the systems are well-structured and automated. A good content engineering stack is designed to reduce complexity, not add to it, so a lean team can run it efficiently.
Comments