Framer CMS Usage and Building Guide

When using Framer CMS in practice, you may notice that it doesn’t involve the same level of complex underlying code as traditional development. However, this doesn’t mean you can rely entirely on the visual interface. As someone who has built Framer CMS from scratch, my experience is that to use the CMS flexibly, you need a certain degree of logical thinking and an understanding of basic programming concepts such as variables, variants, and fields. Only by clearly grasping the overall structure and operating mechanism of Framer CMS can you effectively combine it with page design to achieve dynamic and structured content management. In other words, Framer CMS is not just a simple content input tool—it is a workflow that requires a combination of “design thinking + technical logic.”

This tutorial will guide you from beginner to advanced levels, helping you systematically understand the core usage and building process of Framer CMS. With it, you’ll be able to create not only visually appealing pages but also websites that gain long-term scalability and flexible content management through CMS.

Framer CMS Page Types

In Framer CMS, the way pages are generated and displayed revolves around Collections. A collection can be understood as a group of content units that share the same structure, such as a series of blog posts, product listings, or category directories. Each collection corresponds to different types of CMS pages, and together these pages form the logic for dynamic content presentation.

1 Articles and Categories

In Framer CMS, the two most common types of collection pages are Articles and Categories.

• Articles are typically used to hold specific content entries, such as blog posts, news updates, or product details. This type of collection focuses more on presenting individual pieces of content.

• Categories, on the other hand, are used for organizing and grouping content. Common use cases include article classifications, product series, or tabbed sections, helping users quickly locate relevant topics within a large volume of content.

By combining Articles and Categories, you can not only build pages for displaying individual content but also achieve systematic content archiving and indexing.

2 Index Pages and Detail Pages

Whether it’s Articles or Categories, both will generate two different levels of pages:

Index Page: This can be understood as the “directory page” of a collection, where all content entries within that collection are displayed together in a list format. Examples include a blog homepage with an article list or a product hub featuring item cards.

Detail Page: This corresponds to the detailed content page of a specific entry. Examples include the full article page opened after clicking on a blog post, or the product detail page displayed when clicking on an item.

3 Logical Relationship Between Page Types

In real projects, Index Pages and Detail Pages often have a closely linked navigation relationship. Users typically browse the Index Page first, find content they are interested in from the list, and then click to access the corresponding Detail Page. This logical flow not only helps improve user experience but also provides search engines with a clear content structure.

1). Tips

When designing, it is recommended to provide clear navigation and content filtering on the Index Page to help users locate what they need more quickly. On the Detail Page, focus on hierarchical content layout and related content recommendations to extend user dwell time and increase engagement.

How to Add Pages in Framer CMS

In Framer, adding a CMS page is almost the same as creating a regular page, as both are done through the Pages panel on the left side of the editor. The key difference is that a CMS page needs to be linked to a Collection in order to enable dynamic content generation.

1 Entry Point for Creating a New CMS Page

On the left side of the Framer editor, you will see the Pages panel. Click the “+” button next to the panel title to open the “Add Page” menu. This menu provides several page creation options, including New Page and New CMS Page.

Hover over or click New CMS Page to select the page type you want to link to an existing collection. Based on the previously mentioned Articles or Categories collections, Framer will automatically provide the corresponding page templates, such as Index Page or Detail Page.

2 Selecting the Page Type

When you enter the New CMS Page creation process, the system will prompt you to choose the corresponding collection type:

• Articles → can generate article or product detail pages

• Categories → can generate category or list display pages

In this way, Framer can automatically establish a dynamic mapping between pages and collection content. When you add a new entry to the collection, the system will automatically generate a new page instance.

3 Dynamic Binding Between Pages and Content

After creating a CMS page, you need to insert the corresponding CMS data source components into your page design. These components can directly pull fields from the collection (such as title, image, description, etc.) and dynamically render them on the page. I will demonstrate the practical method of linking components to fields in the following chapters. This way, you only need to maintain the collection’s data to drive content updates on the page, without manually editing the page each time.

Binding Components to Framer CMS Fields

In Framer CMS, dynamic display of components relies on field binding. By linking components to CMS fields, you can synchronize the page design with the content in the collection. In other words, fields represent the data, components serve as the carriers, and binding them enables content-driven page rendering.

1 Basic Workflow

To connect a component to a CMS field, you first need to insert a component that matches the field type on the page. For example, a text field corresponds to a text component, and an image field corresponds to an image component. Then, drag the component into the CMS Data Source component. Only in this way will Framer activate the component’s Set Variable option.

In Framer’s logic, each CMS field is automatically converted into a Variable, which will appear in the component’s property settings for you to use.

2 Binding Fields in the Properties Panel

Once a component is placed under a CMS Data Source, you can proceed to the binding step:

1. In the Properties Panel on the right, locate the property related to the component, such as Fill (for color or image) or Content (for text).

2. Click the “+” button next to the property, and a selection menu will appear.

3. Hover over Set Variable in the menu, and the submenu will automatically list all available field variables in that collection.

4. Select the field you want to bind from the list, such as Title, Description, or Cover Image, to complete the association between the field and the component.

Once bound, whenever the data in the collection changes, the component on the page will update automatically, truly achieving content-driven design.

3 Matching Relationship Between Fields and Component Properties

Not all fields can be bound to every component property. Binding only works when the field type is compatible with the component property:

• Text Field → can be bound to the Content property of a text component

• Image Field → can be bound to the Fill property of an image component

• Link Field (Link/URL) → can be bound to the Link property of a button or link component

• Boolean Field → can be used to control the visibility of a component (Visible/Hidden)

1). Tip: Avoid Incorrect Binding

If you bind a text field to an image component, or an image field to a text property, Framer will not render it correctly. This is a common mistake for beginners.

4 Practical Example

Suppose you are designing an Index Page (Article Index Page):

• Text Component → bound to the Title field in the CMS

• Image Component → bound to the Image field in the CMS

• Button Component → bound to the Link field

Once the bindings are complete, whenever you add or update content in the CMS collection, the Index Page will automatically display the latest data without needing to redesign it.

Content Management for Framer CMS Index Pages

Index Pages in Framer CMS act as a “directory,” determining how collection content is displayed to users in a list format. Whether it’s a list of articles, a product catalog, or a case showcase, the Index Page is responsible for the overall layout of the content. Therefore, mastering the content management options of Index Pages is key to designing and arranging CMS article lists effectively.

1 Overview of the Content Settings Panel

When you select a CMS Data Source component in the Layers panel on the right side of the editor, the Properties Panel will display a Content section. This section provides comprehensive control over content display, with its main functions including:

1). Source

Used to select the source collection for the data. For example, choosing the Articles collection will display articles on the Index Page, while choosing the Products collection will display products.

2). Order

Controls the order in which list content is displayed. Common methods include sorting by publication date, alphabetical order of titles, or custom fields. Proper sorting helps users find the information they need more quickly.

3). Filter

Use filters to narrow the display range. For example, show only articles from a specific category or only products that are in stock. This is especially useful when managing multiple types of content.

4). Pagination & Items

• Items Property: Controls the number of content items displayed per page.

• Load More Button: Provides a batch-loading experience for long lists; clicking the button reveals more items.

• Limit To: Sets the maximum number of items to display, for example, showing up to 10 articles.

5). Start Offset

This setting determines which item in the list the display starts from.

• Value 0: Start displaying from the first item in the collection

• Value 1: Skip the first item and start from the second

• And so on

Note: The Start Offset option does not appear in the Content settings panel by default; you need to click the “+” button next to the Content title to add it manually.

2 Use Cases for Index Page Content Management

By combining sorting, filters, and pagination, you can achieve a variety of display effects:

• Blog Homepage: Sorted in reverse chronological order to show the latest articles

• Product Hub: Filtered by category to display only a specific product series

• Case List: Paginated display, showing 6 cases per page with a “Load More” button

1). Tip: Enhance User Experience

• When there is a large amount of content, prioritize using Load More or pagination to avoid performance issues from loading everything at once.

• For display-oriented pages, combine filters for tag-based selection, allowing users to quickly find what they are looking for.

Designing and Building Article Pages in Framer CMS

In Framer CMS, the design and construction of article detail pages (Detail Pages) differ somewhat from traditional CMS tools. Framer uses a collection-driven page model: a single collection can only correspond to one unified article page style. This means that all articles within that collection automatically follow the same design, unlike tools such as Elementor, where you can set independent templates for different categories or individual articles.

1 Design Logic for a Unified Style

The design of article pages is done on the Canvas in the Framer editor. On the Canvas, you can:

• Freely layout the overall structure of the page

• Add components such as headers, footers, or sidebars

• Style the presentation of article content

It’s important to note that the main content of the article (such as the title, body text, and cover image) is dynamically pulled from CMS fields. These field contents cannot be directly edited on the Canvas. What you can adjust is the style of how the field data is displayed, for example: changing the font of the title, adjusting paragraph line spacing, or cropping images.

2 Editable vs. Non-Editable Areas

To avoid confusion, the design scope of an article page can be divided into two levels:

1). Editable Areas

• Overall Layout: left and right margins, grid structure, placement of content blocks

• Auxiliary Components: related article recommendations, social share buttons, ad blocks

• Decorative Elements: dividers, background colors, icons, and other design elements

2). Non-Editable Areas

• Main Article Content: such as body text, titles, and featured images. These must be edited in the CMS collection’s backend interface and cannot be directly modified on the Canvas.

• Actual Field Values: for example, the title of an article cannot be changed to “Article A” on the Canvas; it must be updated within the CMS collection.

3 Workflow for Designing and Building

• Create a Detail Page for the Articles collection in the Pages panel

• Insert components on the Canvas that match the CMS fields (text, image, button, etc.)

• Bind the components to the CMS fields (e.g., title → Title field, body → Content field)

• Adjust the style and layout of the components to ensure the article looks good and remains readable across different devices

• Outside the main article content area, freely add extra modules such as navigation bars, recommended reading, or CTA buttons to enhance the page’s completeness and conversion potential

4 Tips for Enhancing the Article Page Experience

• Maintain Style Consistency: Since all articles share the same style, avoid relying too heavily on individual article-specific elements during design.

• Enhance Extension Areas: Use the space outside the main article content (top, bottom, and side margins) to place additional information, such as tag navigation or related articles, to improve user retention.

• Mobile Optimization: Use the Canvas’s responsive layout features to ensure a good experience across different devices.

Conclusion

Through an in-depth explanation of Framer CMS’s structure, page types, field binding methods, and the construction workflows for Index and Article pages, you should now have a comprehensive understanding of how to use CMS in Framer for efficient content management and dynamic page building. The advantage of Framer CMS lies in its tight integration of design and content management, allowing you to maintain visually appealing pages while ensuring your website is scalable and flexible for long-term operation.

By mastering the techniques presented in this guide, you can not only quickly get started with basic CMS operations but also create a more professional and systematic content management experience in real projects. In the future, whether it’s a blog, product site, or a multilingual showcase website, Framer CMS makes it easy to implement.

If you want to create a website that balances aesthetics and functionality for yourself or your brand, contact Jane Framer Studio — we provide professional Framer design and development support to help you efficiently achieve your creative and business goals.