6ad6bfd094
* misc edits in /docs; mostly style, grammar, consistency * changes per reviewers requests * removed .md ext from links in 2 files per request
104 lines
4.7 KiB
Markdown
Executable File
104 lines
4.7 KiB
Markdown
Executable File
# Introduction
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Netlify CMS is a Content Management System for static sites, allowing collaborators to create, edit, review, and publish content without writing code or dealing with version control. It brings the ease of WordPress-style editing to the simplicity and speed of static sites.
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At its core, Netlify CMS is an open-source React app that acts as a wrapper for the Git workflow, using the GitHub API. This provides many advantages, including:
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* **Fast, web-based UI:** with rich-text editing, real-time preview, and drag-and-drop media uploads.
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* **Platform agnostic:** works with most static site generators.
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* **Easy installation:** add two files to your site and hook up the backend by including in your build process or linking to our CDN.
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* **Modern authentication:** using GitHub and JSON web tokens.
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* **Flexible content types:** specify an unlimited number of content types with custom fields.
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* **Fully extensible:** create custom-styled previews, UI widgets, and editor plugins.
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# Core Concepts
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## The Admin Interface
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The admin interface is a single-page app with the entry point stored in a static `/admin` folder you add to the root of your site. You can include it with a simple `index.html` file that loads the necessary CSS and JS files from from a CDN:
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``` html
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<!doctype html>
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<html>
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<head>
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<meta charset="utf-8" />
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<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
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<title>Content Manager</title>
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<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://unpkg.com/netlify-cms@~0.4/dist/cms.css" />
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</head>
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<body>
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<script src="https://unpkg.com/netlify-cms@~0.4/dist/cms.js"></script>
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</body>
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</html>
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```
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The JS is also available via npm and can be integrated into your regular build process.
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### Editorial Workflow
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Netlify CMS has an optional [editorial workflow](/docs/editorial-workflow) that translates common Git commands into familiar language in a simple UI:
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Actions in Netlify UI ... | Perform these Git actions
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--- | ---
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Save draft | Commits to a new branch, and opens a pull request
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Edit draft | Pushes another commit to the draft branch/pull request
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Approve and publish draft | Merges pull request and deletes branch
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## Configuration
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All configuration is handled in a single `config.yml` file, also stored in the `/admin` folder. A simple version might look like this:
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``` yaml
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backend:
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name: github
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repo: owner/repo # Path to your Github repository
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branch: master # Branch to update (master by default)
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media_folder: "img/uploads" # Folder where user uploaded files should go
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collections: # A list of collections the CMS should be able to edit
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- name: "post" # Used in routes, e.g., /admin/collections/:slug/edit
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label: "Post" # Used in the UI, e.g., "New Post"
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folder: "_posts" # The path to the folder where the documents are stored
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create: true # Allow users to create new documents in this collection
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fields: # The fields each document in this collection have
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- {label: "Title", name: "title", widget: "string", tagname: "h1"}
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- {label: "Body", name: "body", widget: "markdown"}
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- {label: "Foo", name: "foo", widget: "foo"}
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- {label: "Publish Date", name: "date", widget: "datetime"}
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```
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### Backend
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Because Netlify CMS is a wrapper for the GitHub API, the "backend" is a repo stored on GitHub. *(Using a different Git host? File a [feature request](https://github.com/netlify/netlify-cms/issues), or [help us add it](https://github.com/netlify/netlify-cms/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md)!)* For authentication, you can connect to GitHub using Netlify’s [Authentication Provider feature](https://www.netlify.com/docs/authentication-providers), or you can roll your own.
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### Collections
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All content managed by Netlify CMS is organized in Collections (groups of files), such as:
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* blog posts
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* portfolio samples
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* product listings
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* podcast episodes
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You point to where the files are stored, and specify the fields that define them. The `body` field typically stores the main text of a file, while any other fields are included at the top of the document in the front matter. They can be required, optional, or hidden, and can have preset defaults.
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### Widgets
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Widgets define the data type and interface for entry fields. Netlify CMS comes with several built-in [widgets](/docs/widgets).
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## Customization
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Netlify CMS exposes a `window.CMS` global object that you can use to register custom widgets, previews, and editor plugins. The available methods are:
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* `registerPreviewStyle`: register a custom stylesheet to match the editor preview pane to your site style.
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* `registerPreviewTemplate`: registers a template to determine how fields are displayed in the preview, customizable for each collection.
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* `registerWidget`: registers a custom widget.
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* `registerEditorComponent`: adds a block component to the Markdown editor.
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