How can I make a responsive slider with a 16:9 aspect ratio in Webflow, ensuring that the image resizes properly when the screen size is reduced? Should I add the image in the slide or as a background image? And how can I eventually connect the slider to CMS content? Thank you for any help you can provide!

To create a responsive slider with a 16:9 aspect ratio in Webflow that resizes properly across screen sizes, you need to use precise container settings and decide how to manage your images (either as inline images or background images).

1. Set Up the Slider Structure

• Drag a Slider element from the Add panel into your layout.
• Rename the slider and slides if needed to stay organized.

2. Maintain a 16:9 Aspect Ratio

• Wrap each Slide in a div block (e.g., call it Aspect Ratio Wrapper).
• Set the Aspect Ratio Wrapper to:
• Position: Relative
• Width: 100%
• Padding-Top: 56.25% (This maintains a 16:9 ratio because 9 ÷ 16 = 0.5625).
• Then absolutely position the content inside the wrapper (image or background) to fill the space:
• Position: Absolute, full (Top: 0, Bottom: 0, Left: 0, Right: 0).

3. Add Image Content

You have two options:

A. Using an Image Element

• Place an Image element inside the Aspect Ratio Wrapper.
• Set its Width and Height to 100%, and object-fit: cover to ensure it fills the space and crops as necessary.
• Best suited if you prefer alt text or responsive image optimization control.

B. Using a Background Image

• Apply a background image style directly on the Aspect Ratio Wrapper.
• Set:
• Background Size: Cover
• Background Position: Center
• Background Repeat: No-repeat
• This is visually cleaner but less accessible (no alt text without extra work).

Recommendation: Use image elements if you want better accessibility and control over dynamic CMS images.

4. Make the Slider Responsive

• Ensure the Slider, Slides, and Aspect Ratio Wrapper are all set to Width: 100%.
• Apply max-width constraints on the parent container if needed to prevent the slider from stretching too wide on large screens.

5. Connect the Slider to CMS Content

Webflow’s native Slider cannot directly connect to CMS collections, but you can achieve this using a workaround:

• Use a Collection List instead of a Slider.
• Style the Collection List as a horizontal scroll or custom slider using interactions or third-party libraries like Swiper.js (added via custom code).
• Each Collection Item can include the same aspect-ratio structure and image setup.
• Use the Image field from the CMS to dynamically load images.

There’s also a paid workaround using Finsweet’s CMS Slider Webflow extension:

• Go to www.finsweet.com/cms-library/slider
• Follow their setup to connect your Collection List with a functional, CMS-powered slider.

Summary

To create a responsive 16:9 slider in Webflow:

• Use a padding-top method in a div (56.25%) to establish the aspect ratio.
• Prefer image elements with object-fit: cover for CMS compatibility and accessibility.
• For dynamic content, use CMS Collection Lists with custom sliders or Finsweet’s external library, as Webflow’s native Slider doesn't support CMS binding.

This setup ensures proper image resizing and responsive behavior across devices.