---
title: Create a starter project
slug: cms-11/dev-docs/creating-a-starter-project
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-07-22T19:45:18.312Z
---

You should start developing in an empty project for better control and understanding. Before doing this (and if you are new to Optimizely), you should [install and explore a sample site](docId\:NhghXxLS4Yd0f2K0aHJsC) and get a [Optimizely user interface](docId:0XSrqo2sIS8Ynhtt95X6k).

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**
An empty Optimizely Content Management System (CMS) site supports both Windows authentication and SQL membership provider (multiplex), so in this case you can log in with your Windows credentials. If you install a project outside the default location Documents > Visual Studio > Projects, ensure that the current user has write permission to the parent directory to which you are installing, as SQL LocalDB does not respect the Administrators group.
:::

## Create the project

Follow steps 1-7 in [Install a sample site](docId\:NhghXxLS4Yd0f2K0aHJsC) and select **Empty** in step 4 to create an MVC-based empty site.

You can also watch the following Optimizely installation video to see how to do it.

![](https://archbee-doc-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/wVGgcazNPnSgBhNTU0539-20260722-194628 "Installing Optimizely with Visual Studio 2019 Video")

After you completed all the steps, continue with *Project structure* below.

### Project structure

The project creation process completes these actions:

- Installs main components through NuGet packages (`EPiServer.CMS` which references `EPiServer.CMS.Core`, `EPiServer.CMS.UI` and so on).
- Creates a database in the `App_Data` folder and configures it with the correct database schema.
- Updates configuration files, such as `web.config`, with connection strings.
- Installs the Optimizely user interface components and places them under the URL `/episerver`.

When finalized, you will have a project folder structure containing the following:

- `App_Data` with the content database and the default log file.
- `Business` for business logic and helper libraries added during development.
- `Controllers` for controller classes handling user input and responses.
- `Models` for content classes representing and manipulating data.
- `Static` for design and layout files such as scripts, images, and style sheets.
- `Views` for renderers.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/QQo6nDQweT---lDlRDpvb-20260722-194629.png "basicproject-2.png")

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**
The site is configured to use IIS Express. If you attempt to run it under Visual Studio Development Server, you may get unexpected behaviors, since the site has a different runtime and configuration model. When you install an empty site, there will be no search, this will be added later.
:::

## Create a page type

Create a simple *standard* page type based on MVC, with an editorial area and a heading. Page types created this way inherit from the `IContent` interface in [Content model and views](docId:0eexs4TGHicAPRRQIIWqr), providing some built-in functionality used in many content types.

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**
You need to be an *administrator* for the site to create a page under the website *root*.
:::

1. Go to the **Models** folder in Visual Studio, and right-click on **Pages**.
2. Select **Add** > **New Item**, then **Episerver** and **Page Type**.
3. Name the item `StandardPage.cs` and click **Add**.
   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/3JRzlVoKltIdiUXell9bQ-20260722-194629.png "basicproject-3.png")
4. Uncomment the block with the property `MainBody`. This property is added by default because it is commonly used but is commented out. You can remove it if you want.
5. Add a property of type `String` *before* the `Mainbody` property. Copy the attributes from `MainBody`, set the `sort order` to 0, and change the `Name` and `Description`.
   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/5WxlPM0BuG0tq2AUjvHdG-20260722-194629.png "basicproject-12.png")
6. Compile your solution, log in, and go to edit view.
7. Under **Start (root level)**, create a page named *First page*. The *StandardPage* is automatically applied because this is currently the only available page type.
8. Add some text in the heading and main body properties, and publish the page. Because there is no rendering, the page will open in the **All Properties** editing view and will not be accessible on the front-end side.
   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/TlRJz-j74GjuCFXbEYJ1Z-20260722-194629.png "basicproject-111.png")

## Add page rendering

Add rendering to make the page accessible on the front-end side and automatically make the **On-page editing view** accessible, for quick editing of selected properties.

1. In Visual Studio, right-click on your project's **Controllers** folder.
2. Select **Add** > **New Item**, then **Episerver** and **Page Controller (MVC)**.
3. Name the item `StandardPageController.cs` and click **Add**.
   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/ZLBM0K_3j1l9jImXTJPTs-20260722-194629.png "basicproject-6.png")
4. The controller class will inherit from `EPiServer.Web.Mvc.PageController`, and will automatically use the *StandardPage* page type by naming convention in the Optimizely Visual Studio extension. Resolve the references to *StandardPage* by adding the proper `using` statement for your site.
   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/z9J_qjJJe3bDfM-n6drqZ-20260722-194629.png "basicproject-7.png")
5. Right-click on the **Views** folder, select **Add** > **New Folder**, and name it *StandardPage*.
6. Right-click on the **StandardPage** folder, select **Add** > **New item**, and then **Page Partial View (MVC Razor)** under the **Episerver** group.
7. Name the view `Index.cshtml` and click **Add**.
   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/neqY9g4ZSohISOJKYzQze-20260722-194629.png "basicproject-8.png")
8. In the `Index.cshtml` file, change the model to be `YourSite.Models.Pages.StandardPage`, add the rendering for the `Heading` property with an `<H1>` tag before the `MainBody` property.
   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/LVkFp388qwYVgqNbnKp3m-20260722-194629.png "basicproject-13.png")
9. Build your solution and log in to the edit view. The page you created now has rendering you can edit through the **On-Page** edit view.
   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/VZMVkJsRDS7pm2DS87aLo-20260722-194629.png)
10. Select **View on website** under **Publish** to verify that you can also access the page from the front-end side. Notice that the URL reflects the site's language and page structure.
    ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/SF79S-ZsQsuvmISIjaSNv-20260722-194629.png "basicproject-113 (1).png")
11. Add a few more pages to your site for a page tree structure.
    ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/jZ9maI8sxSCRUvNVDXMsE-20260722-194629.png)

## Configure the start page

You now have a set of accessible pages but have not configured the site. In this final step, you configure the site from the Optimizely admin view.

1. You can configure the site start page by going to **Admin** > **Config** > **Manage Websites**. Click **Add site** and enter the site name and URL (localhost).
2. Select a page in the page tree structure as the start page, and click **Save**.
   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/HETyptUynSHYSxfl8W_tZ-20260722-194629.png)
3. Notice the start page in your page tree structure; you can access your site from the front end by browsing your configured URL.
   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/KbH0_pmNJoYNPmRHF1DVp-20260722-194629.png)

After completing this, you will have a working site with a start page you can use as a starting point for continued development. The next steps are typical in an Optimizely implementation.