How can I add caption text to the Webflow CMS Lightbox Gallery?
TL;DR
- Create a CMS Collection with image and caption fields.
- Build a Collection List, bind images and captions, and style caption text manually.
- Use a custom lightbox script or Finsweet’s CMS Lightbox attributes to enable full lightbox functionality with dynamic captions.
To add caption text to a Webflow CMS Lightbox Gallery, you’ll need to bind the caption field from your CMS to a custom layout since Webflow’s default Lightbox component doesn’t support dynamic captions directly.
1. Create CMS Structure
- In your CMS Collection, ensure each image item has a caption field (e.g., plain text or rich text) alongside the image.
- Example fields: Image, Caption.
2. Build a Custom Lightbox Gallery
- In your Webflow project, Add a Collection List linked to your image CMS Collection.
- Inside the Collection Item, insert a Link Block or Lightbox Link component.
- Set the Image inside this component to get its source from the Image field in the CMS.
3. Add Captions Manually
- Below the image inside the Collection Item, add a Text Block and bind it to the Caption field.
- Style the text block as desired (e.g., overlay at bottom, hidden on hover, etc.).
4. Make It Open as a Lightbox
- Since native CMS-integrated lightboxes can’t read image groups via CMS automatically, use a Link Block with a custom lightbox script, or consider using Finsweet’s CMS Lightbox attribute tool.
5. Use Finsweet Attributes (Optional but Recommended)
- Visit https://www.finsweet.com/attributes/cms/lightbox.
- Follow these steps:
- Add the CMS Lightbox attributes to your Collection List and Links.
- Include Finsweet’s script via Embed or Page Settings.
- With proper setup, your image and caption will display in a fully functioning CMS-powered Lightbox.
Summary
Webflow’s default Lightbox doesn't support CMS captions. To fix this, build a custom CMS gallery, insert a caption text field, and optionally use Finsweet Attributes to enable true Lightbox functionality with captions.