---
title: Create UI settings for dynamic content
slug: cms-11/dev-docs/creating-ui-settings-for-dynamic-content-legacy
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-07-22T19:45:18.000Z
---

:::hint{type="warning"}
**Caution**
Dynamic content is deprecated in Optimizely Content Management System (CMS 12). Use blocks instead. While existing solutions will continue to work, you should not build new solutions on this API. It will be phased out in the future.
:::

When you develop dynamic content functionality, you may want the editor to enter some settings when adding dynamic content to a page. The following sections show how to create user interface settings for dynamic content in Optimizely.

## Create UI settings automatically using PropertyDataCollection

If you want some simple fields (any field that is a property in CMS), you can use a `PropertyDataCollection` that automatically is rendered in the settings for this dynamic content. When you create a dynamic content plug-in, you inherit from the `IDynamicContentBase` interface. One member of `IDynamicContentBase` is:

```csharp
public PropertyDataCollection Properties {
  get;
}
```

Any `PropertyData` in the collection is rendered for the editor to see and change. The collection also is updated with any changes the editor makes.

## Create UI settings with a user control

If you want more advanced settings or more control, you can load your user control. Add an attribute to your dynamic content, and supplying a `Url` attribute:

```csharp
[GuiPlugIn(Url = "~/MyDynamicContentSettings.ascx", Area = PlugInArea.DynamicContent)]
public class MyDynamicContent : IDynamicContent
```

### DynamicContentEditControl

The dynamic content settings control needs to inherit from `DynamicContentEditControl`:

```csharp
public partial class MyDynamicContentSettings : DynamicContentEditControl
```

`DynamicContentEditControl` is an abstract class that supplies your class with one property, `DynamicContent`, and forces you to implement one method `PrepareForSave()`. The `DynamicContent` property gives you a reference to your dynamic content and `PrepareForSave()` is called when the user clicks **OK** in the settings user interface. The following example shows how you can use them on an edit control:

```csharp
public override void PrepareForSave() {
  ((MyDynamicContent)DynamicContent).Name = NameTextBox.Text; 
  ((MyDynamicContent)DynamicContent).Age = AgeSelector.Value;
}
```

In the example, `MyDynamicContent` has two properties, `Name` and `Age`, which have values from the control located in the markup. Then `MyDynamicContent` plug-in handles the values and persists the internal state which occurs through the implementation of the `State` property.