Content types overview
Pages
Best for: Unique layouts and flexible content structuresExamples: Landing pages, product pages, case studies
Collections
Best for: Reusable structured dataExamples: Categories, team members, FAQs, testimonials
Blog Engine
Best for: Chronological content with built-in featuresExamples: Blog posts, news articles, updates
Flowchart: choosing the right content type
Feature comparison matrix
| Feature | Single Page | Page Type | Collection | Blog Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use case | One-off pages | Multiple similar pages | Reusable data | Blog posts |
| Instances | 1 | Many | Many | Many |
| Schema | Custom, unique | Custom, reusable | Custom, reusable | Pre-defined |
| Flexibility | ✅ Full | ✅ Full | ⚠️ Limited | ⚠️ Limited |
| Components | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Localization | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| References to | Collections, Pages | Collections, Pages | Collections, Pages | Categories & tags |
| SEO Fields | ✅ Add manually | ✅ Add manually | ✅ Add manually | ✅ Built-in |
| Authors | ✅ Add manually | ✅ Add manually | ✅ Add manually | ✅ Built-in |
| Setup | Manual | Manual | Manual | Instant |
| Best for | Homepage, About | Products, Case Studies | Categories, FAQs | Blog, News |
| Use Case | Recommended Type | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing landing page | Pages | Need flexible layouts with components |
| Blog article | Blog Posts | Standard format with author/categories |
| Product categories | Collections | Reusable across multiple product pages |
| Customer testimonials | Collections | Referenced by multiple marketing pages |
| Team member directory | Collections | Can be queried and displayed anywhere |
| Complex blog post | Pages | When you need Component Picker flexibility |
| FAQ page | Pages + Collections | Page layout with FAQ Collection items |
Use case scenarios
- E-commerce
- Marketing site
- Saas documentation
- Media/Publishing site
Need: Product catalog with categories and testimonialsSolution:
- Page Type for product pages (multiple products with same structure)
- Collection for simple product categories (referenced by products)
- Collection for customer testimonials (display on homepage and product pages)
- Single Page for homepage, about, and pricing pages
- Blog Engine for company blog and updates
- Page Type ensures consistent product presentation
- Collections allow reusable categories and testimonials
- Blog Engine handles company news chronologically
Mixed approach example
Most real-world sites use a combination of content types:Website Structure
Single Pages
Homepage (unique hero, featured content)
About Us (company story, values)
Contact (form, map, locations)
Page Types
Product Pages (50+ products)
References: Categories, Features, Specs
Case Studies (20+ studies)
References: Industries, Solutions
Landing Pages (campaign-specific)
References: Testimonials, Features
Collections
Product Categories (Electronics, Clothing, etc.)
Product Features (Specs, attributes)
Industries (Healthcare, Finance, etc.)
Solutions (Cloud, API, etc.)
Team Members (Leadership bios)
Testimonials (Customer quotes)
FAQ Items (Help content)
Blog Engine
Company Blog (100+ posts)
Built-in Categories: News, Tutorials, Updates
Built-in Tags: Product names, topics
Built-in Authors: Content team
Next steps
Best practices
Review some best practices for modeling content in your ButterCMS dashboard
How-to recipes
Get a cookbook of how to model some of the most common use-cases in your app