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Content modeling best practices

Content modeling is the foundation of a successful headless CMS implementation. Well-designed content models ensure your content is structured, scalable, and maintainable over time.

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Core principles

Reusability

Design schemas that can be reused across multiple content instances

Flexibility

Build structures that adapt to changing content needs

Maintainability

Create models that are easy to update and modify

Scalability

Plan for growth in content volume and complexity

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Schema design strategy

Start with common elements

Identify elements that appear across multiple content types and choose the best model for them
  • SEO metadata (Global Component)
  • Author or owner information (Collection Item)
  • Site-wide footer (Single Page)
  • Menu (Collections)

Plan for relationships

Use Reference Fields to create connections between content:
  • Link Pages to Collections (e.g., product to category)
  • Associate content with metadata (e.g., blog post to author)
  • Build hierarchies and taxonomies

Use components to organize Page content based on function or Page structure

  • Create reusable Components for common patterns
  • Components saved to the library can be used across Page Types

Use Component Picker to build flexible layouts while maintaining structure

  • Define an allowlist of components for each content type
  • Balance flexibility with governance

Plan ahead for expansion

  • Start with a custom Blog Page Type if you’ll eventually want custom components, additional fields, or access to localization features (vs. Blog Engine)
  • Use a Page Type, instead of a Collection Item, for content predicted to expand in complexity

Analyze user role needs and apply content governance principles

  • Determine if the out-of-the-box roles of Publisher, Author, and Editor fit your organization’s needs
  • Custom roles and permissions offers the ability to gatekeep permissions by specific Content Types
  • Designate required fields on Content Types to ensure critical content is always provided
  • Use field validation options to set min/max lengths and format requirements

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Iterative improvement

Your content model will evolve over time. Best practices for managing change include:
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Start small

Begin with core content types and essential fields
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Gather feedback

Work with content editors to identify pain points
3

Add incrementally

Introduce new fields and content types as needs arise
4

Refactor thoughtfully

Plan schema changes carefully to minimize disruption
Use ButterCMS environments to test schema changes before applying them to production.

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Next steps

Field types

Learn about the various field types available to structure your ButterCMS content

Choosing the right Content Type

Deep dive into the three main Content Types offered by ButterCMS