What is the recommended way to use data from an external CMS with Webflow?

To use data from an external CMS with Webflow, the recommended method is to connect via JavaScript using Webflow’s CMS API or embed external data using custom code.

1. Use Webflow’s Embed Element with Custom JavaScript

• Use the Embed Element in Webflow to insert custom JavaScript and HTML.
• Fetch data from your external CMS using AJAX or Fetch API inside the embed block.
• Update the DOM dynamically using JavaScript to insert the content into Webflow elements based on class names or IDs.
• Be mindful of CORS limitations—your external CMS must allow cross-origin requests if hosted on another domain.

2. Use Webflow’s CMS API as a Sync Target (External → Webflow)

• If you want to import or sync external CMS data into Webflow’s native CMS, use the Webflow CMS API.
• Set up a server (e.g., Node.js, Python) or use tools like Make (Integromat), Zapier, or Pipedream to:
• Fetch data from your external CMS periodically or on change.
• Use Webflow’s CMS API to create or update items in your Webflow collections.
• This method allows your external CMS data to be used within native Collection Lists, which supports Styles, Filters, and Pagination in Webflow Designer.

3. Use Third-Party Tools and Plugins

• Tools like Whalesync, PowerImporter, or Import2 allow one-way or two-way sync from external CMS platforms (e.g., Airtable, Notion, Contentful) into Webflow.
• These platforms usually provide UIs and dashboards to manage how fields are mapped to Webflow CMS.

4. Use iFrames for Fully Hosted External Content (Limited Use)

• If the external CMS data is rendered as a web page, you could embed it using an iframe via Webflow’s Embed Element.
• This is not ideal for SEO or responsive design. Only use this for highly dynamic, separately styled content (e.g., visualizations).

5. Consider SEO & Performance Impacts

• When using dynamic JavaScript rendering (vs native CMS), content may not be SEO-friendly since Webflow (and search engines) might not crawl dynamic data reliably.
• Cache data where possible to reduce load times and API throttling.

Summary

To use external CMS data in Webflow, either sync it via the Webflow CMS API to use native features or fetch and render it dynamically via JavaScript using the Embed element. The API-sync route is best for SEO and styling control, while JavaScript is more flexible for real-time or low-volume use.