How to Build an Insurance Claims Portal with Strapi 5: A Step-by-Step Guide

This detailed tutorial explains how to build an insurance claims portal using Strapi 5 for the backend and Next.js 16 for the frontend, allowing policyholders to submit and manage claims independently. The backend utilizes Strapi 5, which provides the content model, REST API, and admin panel needed to handle claims data, while the frontend uses Next.js 16 with Server Components and Server Actions for efficient data handling and form submissions. The guide outlines setting up the Strapi project, configuring collection types, and creating a REST API integration with Next.js, including detailed steps for defining TypeScript types, creating server-side fetch utilities, and building both a claims list and a detailed view page. It also covers the implementation of a claim submission form using React's useActionState and includes instructions for setting up the necessary API permissions, handling data with Strapi's flattened response format, and ensuring fresh data retrieval by disabling fetch caching. The tutorial highlights the use of Node.js LTS, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS, and suggests future enhancements such as adding authentication, file uploads, and deploying the application to production.