# Content Types

> Content Types pair a Configuration with a Metadata Set and Data Definition, deciding both how a page looks and what authors can edit.

URL: https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/design-in-cascade/content-types/index.html
category: Design in Cascade
article-type: concept
content-kind: article
release-availability: all
tags: design
updated: 2026-10-06

Content Types combine the look and feel of a page (Configuration) with the editable content fields of a page (Metadata Set and Data Definition/WYSIWYG) so that non-technical users can easily create and edit pages.

They provide an intuitive and logical way for end users to identify the proper type to associate with a page by grouping together the necessary outputs for predefined page types with familiar names, such as blog posts, press releases, standard content pages, and more.

## Creating a Content Type

To create a Content Type:

1. Navigate to **Manage Site** > **Content Types**.
1. Navigate to the container in which the new Content Type will be stored, or create a new container using **Add** > **Container**.
1. Click **Add** > **Content Type**.
1. In the **Name** field, enter the name for your Content Type.
1. In the **Parent Container** field, select a container for the Content Type, if desired.
1. In the **Settings** tab, select the following assets for all pages using this Content Type:
    - **Configuration**
    - **Metadata Set**
    - **Type of Content** - Select either a Data Definition or WYSIWYG.
1. In the **Editable Fields** tab, regions from the selected Configuration can be made editable in-context while viewing the page.
    - **Allow XHTML/Block contents to be edited in-context** - Most useful for static XHTML blocks, this option makes non-page content like headers and footers editable from the page view. Note that changes to XHTML blocks extend to all assets using the block, not just the page being edited.
    - **Metadata Fields** and **Data Definition Fields** - Use the pencil icon to choose the fields that should be editable in-context. Regions with editable fields will be highlighted on hover in the page view.
1. In the **Publish Options** tab, select which outputs should be published and to which Destination(s) they will be published. For example, a site redesign output might be published to a testing Destination while the current design may be published to a production Destination.
1. Optionally, choose a **Publish Set** to associate with the Content Type. Assets in the associated Publish Set can be optionally published whenever a page of this Content Type is published.
1. Click **Submit**.