Content types
Note
This topic is for CMS administrators and developers with administration access rights.
Content in Optimizely can be page types and block types, folders, or media files such as images and documents. Content can also be products in a product catalog in Optimizely Commerce Connect.
Content types and properties
Page types and block types contain the properties where editors enter information, such as a link to an image on a web page.
For a content type, you define properties that can hold information, such as a link to an image, a web page, or editorial text. A typical website has a set of content types that match the identified functions needed on that website.
The content type is the foundation for creating one or many page or block instances. The page type or block type and its properties must be mapped to the corresponding rendering to display content to visitors.
The content concept in Optimizely Content Management System (CMS) is based on inheritance from a "generic" content type, which is then used to create specific content types, such as a page type or a media folder. Using this feature, developers can create custom content types when they set up new websites.
- You can define page or block types in code or from the admin view.
- For page types defined in code and for all block types, you can define "non-breaking changes" of properties in the admin view.
- You are notified if you cannot change the settings defined in code in the admin view.
- If you change a page type defined in code, you can reset the changes to the original values defined in code.
Page types
Warning
Changing page type settings may cause the website to stop working. Although you can create page types in the admin view, you should create them from code.
Editing a page type
To edit settings for an existing page type:
- Go to Settings > Content Types.
- Select the page type from the list.
- Click Settings.
- Modify the form.
- Click Save.
Because you can identify page types and their properties in code or from the Settings view, you can change some settings from the Settings view. If a page type is created from code, this is shown on the page type information page under General.
Note
You cannot delete certain page types defined in code. These are typically page types upon which other page types are based, such as the standard or default page and the start page.
Using the Access level area, you can define which users or user groups will have access to the page type.
Create a page type from the Settings view
- Go to Settings > Content Types, and select Create New > Page Type.
- Set values in the new page Settings tab.
- Name – A name for the page type.
- Display name – The name to be displayed in the list of available page types.
- Description – The text describing the page type also displays in the list of available page types.
- Sort index – A number determining the (ascending) sort order in the list of available page types. The default is 100.
- Available in edit view – Select to make the page type available for selection when creating pages in the editorial interface. You should hide rarely used page types, such as the start page type. You can make these available when needed and then hide them again.
- Set the values on the Permissions tab. You can use the Search box to filter and find users and groups to which you want to give access.
- Set values on the Default Values tab. You can set default values for some of the built-in properties in Optimizely CMS from the admin view. You can also specify default values for the properties from code which are not visible in the admin view.
- Set values on the Child Content Types tab. When creating pages, limit the available page types in the page type list to make it easier for editors to choose the correct page type. For example, for an Alloy Tech parent page, you can specify that the only available page type is News Page.
- Click Save.
Copy an existing page type
When you copy a page type, its properties are also copied. You can then edit the information for the page type and its properties. Copy a page type as follows:
- Select Copy Page Type in the Manage Page Types tab in the Settings view.
- Select the page type you want to copy from the drop-down list and click Copy. A window will display the same properties.
- Edit the page type information to suit your requirements and click Save.
Note
Copied page types are untyped, and you need to add the path to the display template; otherwise, pages based on the page type will not have a preview.
Make a page type available for only some users
The following example shows how to make the News Page page type available to only some users to ensure that only authorized users can create news articles for the organization.
- Create a group for users who can edit new articles.
- Go to Settings > Administer Groups.
- Click Create Group.
- Enter News-authors and click Create Group. The group is added to the groups list.
- Add users to the News-authors group.
- Go to Settings > Administer Users.
- Click the user (Abbie for this example) to edit the user.
- Select Add Group > News-authors.
- Click Save User. Repeat for users Eddie and Erin. Go back to Administer Groups > New-authors to see Abbie, Eddie, and Erin in the group.
- Set permissions for the News Page page type so that the News-authors group has access to it.
- Go to Settings > Content Types and click the News Page page type. The Page Type window opens with a Properties view.
- Select Permissions.
- Select Add User/Group > News-authors.
- Delete group Everyone.
- Click Save. Now, only Abbie, Eddie, and Erin (because they are in the News-authors group) have access to the News Page page type.
- Apply the access rights restriction to the News & Events page (and its children).
- Go to Settings > Set Access Rights.
- In the page tree, select Root > Start > About Us > News & Events.
- Deselect Inherit settings from parent item. The access rights you set on News & Events are inherited by the child content items in the page tree.
- Select Add User/Group > News-authors and select Read, Create, Change, Delete, Publish, and Administer for the group.
- Remove Webeditors (by deselecting all access rights), so that only admins and users in the New-authors group can access the page.
- Leave Everyone as Read-only so that they can see what the authors post.
- Click Save Access Rights. Now, only Abbie, Eddie, and Erin (because they are in the News-authors group), and administrators can create or modify content in the News & Events section of the page tree.
Block types
Block types are similar to page types, and you can modify some settings from the Settings view.
Edit the settings for an existing block type as follows:
- Go to Settings > Content Types, and select a block type (such as Contact).
- Click Settings.
- Change one or several settings as described for Create a page type from the Settings view.
- Click Save.
Media types
Media types are similar to page types. You can add properties, modify permissions, and some settings from the Settings view.
Follow linkEdit a media type
Edit the settings for an existing media type as follows:
- Go to Settings > Content Types, and select a media type (Image, Video, or Media).
- Click Settings.
- Enter the following information.
- Name – A name for the media type.
- Display name – The name to be displayed in the list of available media types.
- Description – The text describing the media type also displays in the list of available media types.
- Sort index – A number determining the (ascending) sort order in the list of available media types. The default is 100.
- Supported media extensions – Comma-separated list of file extensions the media type supports.
- Click Save.
Create a media type from the Settings view
- Go to Settings > Content Types, and select Create New > Media Type.
- Enter the following information.
- Name – A name for the media type.
- Display name – The name to be displayed in the list of available media types.
- Description – The text describing the media type also displays in the list of available media types.
- Sort index – A number determining the (ascending) sort order in the list of available media types. The default is 100.
- Type – Required for image and video types. Select the media type.
- Supported media extensions – Comma-separated list of file extensions the media type supports.
- Click Save.
Other content types
By default, there are generic content types for other types of content, such as folders and media files. Based on these, developers can create specific content types. You can have a specific folder or media file content type where you can add properties such as Copyright or Photographer.