Design in Cascade
Build the structures behind a site — Templates and Configurations for how pages look, Data Definitions and Metadata Sets for what authors can edit.
Where to start
See how a page gets built
Templates, Configurations, Content Types, Formats, and blocks each own one layer of a published page. Start here to learn which layer to reach for.
Templates, Configuration Sets, and Outputs →Give a page its structure
Templates are XHTML documents that use system tags to mark out the regions a page fills with content.
Templates →Decide what authors can edit
A Data Definition is the set of fields an author fills in. Build one in the Builder, or write the XML directly.
Data Definitions →Structure and content
Reuse fields across sites
Shared Fields let one field or field group be managed in a single place and used by many Data Definitions.
Shared Fields →Show fields only when they apply
Smart Fields reveal or hide fields based on what an author picks in a checkbox, dropdown, or radio field.
Smart Fields →Describe an asset
Metadata Sets collect the fields that describe content — the built-in ones every asset carries, plus any custom fields you define.
Metadata Sets →Putting it together
Pair a look with a set of fields
A Content Type binds a Configuration to a Metadata Set and Data Definition, so authors get the right fields and the page gets the right output.
Content Types →Publish more than one version
Configurations group the outputs a page publishes — the web page itself plus any PDF, printer-friendly, or XML variant.
Configurations →Change many assets at once
Bulk Change applies a new Content Type, Metadata Set, or Data Definition across a whole set of assets in one pass.
Bulk Change →All Articles
Bulk Change
The Bulk Change tool lets you apply new Content Types, Metadata Sets, or Data Definitions to multiple assets at one time.
Configurations
Configurations are collections of one or more outputs that are used to display page content.
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.
Data Definition XML Schema Reference
Every element and attribute available in a Cascade CMS Data Definition XML file — group, shared field, asset, text, checkbox, dropdown, selector, and radio.
Data Definitions
A Data Definition is a collection of fields used in the creation and editing of page and block content.
Linking to Specific Outputs
How to use the system-page-output attribute to link visitors directly to a page's PDF, printer-friendly, or XML output.
Metadata Fields in Cascade
An overview of Cascade CMS's built-in metadata fields and how to use custom (dynamic) metadata fields in metadata sets.
Metadata Sets
Metadata is data within the CMS that describes an asset. A Metadata Set represents a curated collection of metadata fields used to describe content.
Shared Fields
Shared Fields allow you to manage, update, and share fields and field groups across Data Definitions and across sites.
Smart Fields
How to show or hide fields and field groups in a Data Definition based on what an author selects in a checkbox, dropdown, or radio field.
Templates
Templates are the XHTML documents that give pages their structure, using system tags to define the regions that hold interchangeable content.
Templates, Configuration Sets, and Outputs: How a Page Gets Built
Learn how templates, configuration sets, content types, formats, blocks, and outputs work together in Cascade CMS to build a published page, with a practical end-to-end example.