What are alternative solutions to the 10,000 item limit in Webflow for building a theater website with multiple shows, performances, and characters?

Webflow has a 10,000 item CMS limit, which can be restrictive for large, content-rich websites like a theater site with hundreds of shows, performances, and characters. Here are alternative solutions to work around this limit.

1. Use Webflow + External Database via APIs (e.g., Airtable)

• Store additional content externally (e.g., Airtable, Notion, or Xano) and connect to Webflow using tools like Zapier, Make (Integromat), or Whalesync.
• Display external data in Webflow using custom JavaScript or embed components, fetched via APIs.
• Tools like Jetboost, Attributes by Finsweet, and Refokus CMS Library help render external data dynamically.

2. Use Webflow E-commerce for Non-CMS Content

• Items like show schedules or cast profiles don't always need CMS collections; you can create static pages or use E-commerce products if you don't need dynamic filtering.
• This reduces CMS usage and works well for one-time content.

3. Split Collections by Purpose

• Avoid putting everything in one large collection. Use separate collections for Shows, Performances, Characters, Theaters, etc.
• Reference fields allow interlinking between collections, reducing duplication and preserving space.
• Use Multi-reference fields where applicable to connect characters to shows without creating redundant CMS items.

4. Create Multiple Webflow Projects (Multi-Site Architecture)

• Build additional Webflow projects to separate sections (e.g., one site for archives, another for current season).
• Use domain subdirectories or subdomains like archive.yourtheater.com.
• Requires extra Webflow hosting plans, but removes the limitation per site.

5. Leverage Conditional Visibility and Pagination

• Use fewer CMS items with more rich content per item rather than separate CMS items for every date or cast member.
• For example, use a single Performance item listing multiple dates or cast via Rich Text or Collection List inside a multi-reference field.
• Add pagination to manage load and avoid creating too many items.

6. Load External Data with JavaScript & Custom Code

• Use custom JavaScript to call external JSON data or endpoints and render it in repeater components or custom layouts once the page loads.
• This avoids using CMS altogether for non-critical SEO content and is ideal for programmatic data like performance times.

Summary

To overcome Webflow's 10,000 CMS item limit, use external databases via API, divide content into modular collections, or split into multiple Webflow sites. For dynamic but non-SEO-critical content, load data via JavaScript from external sources. Combining these techniques allows you to scale your theater website efficiently.