Manage content with the local CMS

The MODO CMS stores structured content with your project. A collection defines fields; items contain values. You can design around those values without running a remote CMS account.

Create a collection and an item

1. Open CMS in the left rail and choose New collection.
2. Give it a name and singular name. Review the Collection id carefully: it identifies its folder and cannot be renamed later.
3. Open its schema and add the fields you need, such as title, body, image or a reference to another collection.
4. Create a draft item and enter its content.
5. Complete required fields and image alternative text.
6. Change its status to Published when it is ready to be included in eligible output.

Start with a small collection, for example three studio projects with title, description and image. Confirm the structure before importing a large body of content.

Connect content to design

Use a collection-backed list or item template and the field-link controls to bind supported layer properties to CMS fields. A normal text layer outside a collection context does not automatically know which item to display.

Check more than one item in Preview: a longer title or missing optional image may expose layout problems that the first item does not.

Understand publication

Published is an item's local content state. It does not upload a website. Export or publish the website again to deliver changed content to visitors.

Drafts can appear in editing with a Draft indicator and are excluded from published output. Invalid published items block builds until corrected. A scheduled publication time affects the content selected for an export; closing the desktop app does not create an always-running publishing service.

Change a schema safely

For a schema migration, use Compute plan, inspect Show impact, and apply only after reviewing affected items. Adding a required field may need values for existing items. Destructive changes need acknowledgement.

If a file conflict appears, compare the saved version with your current work before choosing which to keep. Avoid editing the same item simultaneously in MODO and an external file editor.

Your .modo copies and full-project sharing packages contain CMS drafts too. Review the audience before sharing them.

See layout, local saving and website delivery.