How can you access the content of a Webflow CMS website without rebuilding everything if the customer no longer wants to use the site as a CMS?

If a customer no longer wants to use a Webflow CMS website and prefers to access its content without the CMS functionality, there are a few steps you can take to retrieve the content without rebuilding the entire site:

1. Export the CMS data: In the Webflow Designer, navigate to the CMS Collections tab. From there, you can export the CMS data in a CSV file format. This file will contain all the content stored in the CMS, including text, images, and any other relevant data fields associated with each item in the collections.

2. Backup the site: Before making any changes, it's always wise to create a backup of the CMS site. You can duplicate the entire project in your Webflow account, ensuring a safeguard of the existing site before proceeding with any modifications.

3. Rebuild the site: Next, you'll need to rebuild the site as a static website. This involves converting the dynamic CMS content into static content that can be directly hosted on a server or platform of your choice. Begin by stripping out any dynamic elements, such as collection lists or dynamic embeds, and replacing them with static content.

4. Organize the content: As you rebuild the site, you'll need to organize the exported CMS data into appropriate content sections. For example, if you have a blog collection in the CMS, create individual static pages for each blog post and copy the content from the CSV file accordingly. Repeat this process for every relevant collection in the CMS.

5. Save and optimize assets: While rebuilding the site, ensure that all images and media used in the CMS content are properly saved and organized in the correct directories of the static site. Optimize images for web, keeping file sizes small to improve page load times.

6. Reconfigure the site's structure: As the CMS was previously managing the content structure, you'll need to update the site's navigation, menu, and internal linking manually to reflect the new static content organization.

7. Connect a new hosting platform: Once you've completed rebuilding the site, you can export the static site files from Webflow and host them elsewhere. Popular hosting options include platforms like Netlify, GitHub Pages, or traditional web hosting providers.

By following these steps, you can access the content of a Webflow CMS website without having to rebuild everything from scratch. Although the process requires some manual work, it allows you to retain the existing content while removing the dependency on the CMS functionality.