Create your first CMS collection.

Start with the content model

List the content you need to publish repeatedly, then separate content fields from presentation. A project collection might need a name, slug, summary, cover image, client type, services and a long description. Do not create a field for every visual detail.

1. Open the CMS panel and create a new collection with a specific name, such as Projects or Articles.
2. Add only the fields required by the page and listing layouts. Use a plain text field for short labels and rich text for long editorial content.
3. Create two or three realistic records before designing the page. Real content exposes wrapping, missing images and overly narrow layouts early.
4. Connect the collection to a list and create its detail page from the collection template.

Before publishing

The list below breaks this down into the parts that matter most. Read through each one and note anything that applies to your own setup.

• Give every record a stable, readable slug.
• Add a fallback image or make the image treatment safe when empty.
• Check the collection with short, long and missing values.
• Define who will maintain each field and how often it changes.

Naming a collection for the long term

Pick a plural, descriptive collection name early, such as Case Studies rather than CMS 1. Renaming a collection later does not automatically fix references left in components, page titles or internal links, so a clear name from the start saves rework.

Signs the model needs revisiting

Before making changes, work through the points below. Each one covers a different part of the picture, so treat them as a set rather than picking favourites.

• Editors are pasting formatting into a plain text field to fake structure.
• The same fact is typed into more than one record instead of referenced.
• A field is used differently across records because its purpose was never defined.
• New content types keep getting force-fitted into an existing collection.