> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://buttercms.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# ButterCMS in 30 seconds

> A 30-second overview of ButterCMS, an API-first headless CMS. Pages, Collections, the Blog Engine, platform features, and the API.

ButterCMS is an API-first headless CMS. This means that you model your content in the dashboard and deliver it to your apps through a REST API.

## ButterCMS is a good fit when:

* You want editors to publish without code changes.
* You need the same content delivered to multiple frontends.
* You want to control rendering and routing directly from your app.

## How ButterCMS works

1. Users with the appropriate permissions define content types. ButterCMS offers three main content types:

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card icon="file" href="../core-concepts/content-types/pages" title="Pages">
    Custom schemas for landing pages, articles, and structured content.
  </Card>

  <Card icon="database" href="../core-concepts/content-types/collections" title="Collections">
    Reusable datasets for FAQs, menus, testimonials, and more.
  </Card>

  <Card icon="newspaper" href="../core-concepts/content-types/blog-engine" title="Blog Engine">
    Built‑in blog with posts, categories, tags, and authors.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

2. Once you've defined the schema for your content type, editors create content in the dashboard and save it as a draft or publish it.
3. Your app requests JSON from the API and renders it.

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart TB
subgraph CMS["ButterCMS Dashboard"]
A[Content Creators]
B[Pages & Collections]
C[Media Library]
end

subgraph API["REST API"]
D[JSON Data]
end

subgraph Apps["Your Applications"]
E[Web App]
F[Mobile App]
G[IoT Device]
end

A --> B
B --> D
C --> D
D --> E
D --> F
D --> G
```

## Key features

ButterCMS is a powerful platform that offers the following capabilities:

* API-first content delivery, including **webhooks** to trigger builds and workflows and a **management API** (write API) for programmatic content creation and updates.
* Reusable **components, component pickers,** and **repeaters** that allow for dynamic, flexible use cases, like custom SEO components, CTAs, case studies, and more.
* **SDKs** for popular frameworks and languages.
* **Advanced collaboration tools,** including approval **workflows**, revision history, custom **roles and permissions** by content type, and the ability to save and fetch drafts.
* A fully integrated **media library** that includes access to our lightning-fast **content delivery network**.

## Next step: create your account

<Card icon="user-plus" href="./create-account" title="Create your account">
  Sign up and explore the dashboard
</Card>

<CardGroup cols={2} />