What is the purpose of the "Template" sites under "CMS Collection Pages" in Webflow and should I create my collections there before rebuilding them in the "Static" sites?
TL;DR
- Use CMS Collection Page Templates in Webflow to dynamically generate pages for repeatable content using a single design.
- Use static pages only for unique, non-repeatable content that doesn't rely on CMS data.
CMS Collection Page Templates in Webflow are dynamic page layouts used to automatically generate pages for each item in a collection. Understanding their role helps you decide whether to use them or rely on static pages.
1. Purpose of CMS Collection Page Templates
- Auto-generate dynamic pages for each CMS item using a single layout template.
- Found under Pages > CMS Collection Pages, each collection has a Template Page (e.g., Blog Posts Template).
- You design this one template, and Webflow populates it with content from each CMS item (e.g., individual blog posts or team profiles).
- URL structure follows
/collection-slug/item-slug(e.g.,/blog/how-to-use-webflow).
2. When You Should Use CMS Collection Templates
- Use templates when you:
- Have repeatable content types (e.g., blog posts, portfolio items, events).
- Want easy scalability — create the design once, then add items through the CMS or Editor.
- Need to dynamically populate SEO tags, Open Graph data, or on-page content based on CMS item fields.
3. When to Use Static Pages Instead
- Use static pages when:
- The page’s content and structure are unique and non-repeatable.
- You need complete design freedom per page, unrelated to a data model.
- The page doesn’t need to pull from or repeat content (e.g., About Us, Contact).
4. Should You "Create" Collections in Template Pages First?
- You define CMS Collections in the CMS panel, not on the template page.
- The template page is automatically created when you add a new collection.
- You don’t create content on the template itself — it’s a layout that pulls from existing CMS items.
- There's no need to “rebuild” CMS templates as static pages unless you’re not using the CMS system at all.
Summary
CMS Collection Page Templates in Webflow are meant to dynamically generate pages for CMS items using a single design. Use them to manage repeatable content efficiently. Only use static pages if each page requires a completely custom layout without CMS data.