Point: What is Studio CMS?
Studio CMS is a built-in content management system that lets you structure, manage, and update content directly within Studio.Design. By combining models, items, and properties, you can centrally manage frequently updated content like blogs and news.
To learn more about how Studio CMS works and how to get started, check out these articles:
This page covers the key features of CMS Collections and walks you through basic operations like creating, editing, and deleting them.
Use cases for Collections
Select specific items from an "Event List" article model to create a "Recommended Events" collection and display them as a list.
Where CMS Collections appear
Collections in the CMS Dashboard
You create and manage collections from the CMS Dashboard.
In the left panel of the CMS Dashboard, CMS models are listed at the top, with CMS Collections listed below them.
Collections in the Design Editor
Collections created in the CMS Dashboard can be displayed on your site by linking them to a Dynamic List. You set up this link in the Design Editor.
The image below shows a Dynamic List linked to the "Online Events" collection. The collection name "Online Events" appears in the top left.
Create a Collection
Note: Each collection can only reference one CMS model. You cannot select items across multiple models.
Open the CMS Dashboard.
Click the [+] button next to "Collections" on the left side of the screen.
Enter a collection name and select a model.
Click [Create New] to create the collection.
Add items to a Collection
You can add an unlimited number of items to a collection, but up to 50 items can be displayed on your website.
In the CMS Dashboard, select the target collection from the collection list on the left side of the screen.
On the settings screen, click [+ Add Item] to add the desired items.
When you make changes to a collection, its status automatically switches to [Has Changes]. To apply the changes to your website, select [Update] in the status settings. Once the update is complete, the status changes to [Published].
From the [Publish] panel in the Design Editor, [Update] your site.
Tips: If you add new items to the model after creating the collection, they won't be automatically added to the collection.
Remove items from a Collection
When you remove an item from a collection, the item itself remains in the original model.
In the CMS Dashboard, select the target collection from the collection list on the left side of the screen.
On the settings screen, hover over the item and click the [×] that appears in the top right.
When you make changes to a collection, its status automatically switches to [Has Changes]. To apply the changes to your website, select [Update] in the status settings. Once the update is complete, the status changes to [Published].
From the [Publish] panel in the Design Editor, [Update] your site.
Reorder items in a Collection
Tips: Change item display order in a CMS List
You can use the sort feature in CMS Lists to change the display order of items based on CMS properties.
For details, see CMS Lists > Reorder items in a CMS List.
The order you set in the CMS Dashboard is reflected on the published page.
In the CMS Dashboard, select the target collection from the collection list on the left side of the screen.
On the settings screen, hover over an item and drag & drop the icon that appears to reorder.
When you make changes to a collection, its status automatically switches to [Has Changes]. To apply the changes to your website, select [Update] in the status settings. Once the update is complete, the status changes to [Published].
From the [Publish] panel in the Design Editor, [Update] your site.
Manage a Collection's publish status
A collection's publish status is managed the same way as CMS items — through the status feature.
Note: CMS Item status vs. CMS Collection status
CMS publish statuses can be set for each item or for each collection.
Even if all items within a collection are published, the collection won't appear on your site if the collection itself is set to Draft.
Available statuses for Collections
A collection's publish state is managed with three statuses: Published, Has Changes, and Draft.
Status | Status icon color | Live Preview | Published site | Overview |
Draft | Gray | ○ | × | Ready for editing |
Published | Green | ○ | ○ | Currently live on your site |
Has Changes | Blue | ○ | △ *What's shown in Live Preview and on the published site may differ. | Edits have been made to a published collection |
How to change a Collection's status
In the CMS Dashboard, select the target collection from the collection list on the left side of the screen.
Change the status from the top right of the settings screen.
Duplicate a Collection
When you duplicate a collection, a new collection is created with the same items linked from the original.
The duplicated collection's status is set to "Draft," and its name follows the format "XXX (Copy)."
Note: The following users cannot duplicate collections:
Editors whose CMS access is restricted through advanced permission settings (available on Business plan and above)
Members or guests with restricted CMS access on paid Workspace plans
Users with Writer permissions on legacy plans
How to duplicate
Open the CMS Dashboard.
In the collection list on the left, hover over the collection you want to duplicate, click the three-dot menu that appears, and select [Duplicate].
Alternatively, select the collection you want to duplicate, then click the three-dot menu on the settings screen and select [Duplicate].
Delete a Collection
Once deleted, a collection cannot be restored. However, the items that were in the collection will remain in the original model.
Note: The following users cannot delete collections:
Editors whose CMS access is restricted through advanced permission settings (available on Business plan and above)
Members or guests with restricted CMS access on paid Workspace plans
Users with Writer permissions on legacy plans
How to delete
Open the CMS Dashboard.
In the collection list on the left, hover over the collection you want to delete, click the three-dot menu that appears, and select [Delete].
Alternatively, select the collection you want to delete, then click the three-dot menu on the settings screen and select [Delete].
To reflect the changes on your live site, go to the [Publish] panel in the Design Editor and [Update] your site.