Content property

4 min

This topic describes the attributes of the Content property types (Content Area, Content Area Item, and Content Reference) that are available in CMS (SaaS). The following image shows Content property type examples.

Configure Content property

Name – Enter the name of this Content property type. This is used when programming and making language settings.

Type – Lets you change the content type to any other.

Content Type – Content types are used to construct and manage web content. Select one of the following:

Content Area – Stores a collection of content area items (blocks or pages), letting editors manage order, group, and display of different pieces of content. It supports drag-and-drop functionality in the editorial interface for rearranging or adding content. It looks similar to the following when rendered in the All Properties editing view.

📘 Note A property cannot be of type Content Area if the Content Type was marked as an Element in Settings > Content Types > {select the content type} > Settings > Available for composition in Visual Builder (enabled) > Element. Content Areas are designed to hold multiple content items and can introduce complexity and performance overhead. Elements are meant to be efficient and straightforward, so allowing Content Areas would contradict this purpose.

Content Area Item – Content area to drop content, select content from the content tree, or create content from scratch. Only page, block, or image content is allowed for this content type. It looks similar to the following when rendered in the All Properties editing view.

Content Reference – Store a content reference link by dropping content (stored elsewhere in the CMS) or selecting content from the content tree. For instance, you might refer to a page or a block that you want to display in multiple places. This helps maintain a single source of truth and reduces redundancy in content management. It looks similar to the following when rendered in the All Properties editing view.

📘 Note Content Reference is the only content type available for elements.

Reference type – Defines whether a property can inherit from any content type or only from a specific one. If you select Any, the Allowed Content Types and Restricted Content Types options are available. If you select a specific content type, those options are hidden, and the property can only use the selected reference type. When you use Reference type, Optimizely Graph returns the full object of the selected content type. For example, if the property references a ContactBlock with the fields name and email, Graph includes those fields in the response. When you use Allowed Content Types, Graph only returns the contentLink.

Allowed Content Types – Open Select Content Type to select the content type you want to permit to be used with the content type you are defining. The content type is then listed, and you can repeat the process for the remaining content types. Remove them by clicking the trash can. You can also change a selected content type.

Restricted Content Types – Open Select Content Type to select the content type you want to disallow from being used with the content type you are defining. The content type is then listed, and you can repeat the process for the remaining content types. Remove them by clicking the trash can. You can also change a selected content type.

This is what the display may look like:

Value must be entered – Select to require the user to enter a value in a content field. Required fields display a red asterisk (*).

Unique value per language – See Define language-specific properties.

Min items – Enter the minimum number of items this content type permits.

Max items – Enter the maximum number of items this content type permits.

Property Indexing Type – Unavailable.

Default value – Select the options to define what value the Number field displays.

No default value – The field is empty (no pre-populated content).

Inherits value – The field value is derived from another source. This is often used in hierarchical systems where child elements can inherit values from their parent elements. For example, a sub-page in a CMS might inherit some property values from its parent page.

Custom – Enter the field's default value.

Display in edit view – Unavailable.

Display name – Enter the text you want to display above the content element on the page in the All Properties view.

Help text – If you want help text to display next to the Display Name, enter the text. The following image shows how the help text displays.

Sort index – Specify a value to determine the order in which data is displayed or processed.

Property Group – Select a property group (Categories, Content, Dynamic Blocks, Preview, Scheduling, SEO Settings, Shortcut) to organize your content on tabs in the All Properties editing view of the content type. The following image shows text fields on the Content tab (property group).