What is the recommended way to use data from an external CMS with Webflow?
TL;DR
- Sync external CMS data to Webflow using the Webflow CMS API with middleware tools like Make or Zapier.
- Alternatively, dynamically load data at runtime using JavaScript fetch calls and DOM manipulation.
To use data from an external CMS with Webflow, you need to connect the external data source to Webflow either via API or third-party tools, as Webflow doesn't natively support external database syncing.
1. Use Webflow CMS API (via Middleware)
- Webflow supports creating, updating, and deleting CMS items through its CMS API.
- Use a server, backend platform (e.g., Make, Zapier, or custom Node.js server) to pull data from your external CMS and push it to Webflow CMS Collections.
- Data pulled from the external CMS must be mapped to fields in your Webflow Collection.
2. Embed Data Dynamically via JavaScript
- You can fetch the external CMS data at runtime using JavaScript (e.g.,
fetch()from a REST API). - Once retrieved, use JavaScript to manipulate the DOM and inject content into elements on your Webflow page.
- This method doesn't use Webflow CMS — content is loaded each time the page renders.
3. Use Third-Party Tools
- Make (formerly Integromat), Zapier, Whalesync, and similar tools let you automate syncing between an external CMS (e.g., Airtable, Notion) and Webflow CMS.
- These platforms often provide templates for syncing tables or records to Collections in Webflow.
4. Webflow's Embed Element
- For lightweight use, you can use the Embed component to insert JavaScript or iframe snippets that fetch or display external data.
- Limited styling control, and may affect SEO or performance depending on how data is loaded.
5. Headless CMS + Custom Frontend (Advanced)
- Alternatively, use Webflow solely as a frontend and route your data entirely from your headless CMS (e.g., Contentful, Sanity) via client-side JavaScript or deployed Jamstack site.
- Requires advanced setup and isn’t managed natively in the Webflow Designer.
Summary
To integrate external CMS data with Webflow, either sync data to Webflow CMS via API/automation or load it client-side via JavaScript. Use platforms like Make or manual API calls for syncing, or fetch() logic for dynamic runtime rendering.