How do you let someone update a site without rebuilding it?
Put information that changes often into a content management system, or CMS. A writer can add one help article or case study, and an existing layout can show it. Decide who may edit, who can make it public and what you would need to take the site somewhere else.
Which parts of a site are worth putting in a CMS?
Start with content you expect to add or change repeatedly. Give each entry a few fields, then decide where those fields appear. A shared layout makes it easier to add the next item without building a new page by hand.
| What changes | Fields to start with | What a reader needs |
|---|---|---|
| A help article | Title, answer and last updated date | A stable page they can share. |
| A resource listing | Title, short summary, image and destination | A list they can scan and a link they can open. |
| A case study | Project name, summary and images | An overview and a page with the details. |
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to read every column.
Can the person who edits an entry also publish it?
That depends on the role and the platform. Ask whether the person can edit a draft, publish a single entry or send the entire site live. Give each person the access their job needs and check the individual-entry and whole-site cases separately.
Decide how someone will review a preview without mistaking it for the public page. If you publish to a staging address to get feedback, check who can open it before adding any private material.
Compare tools
Scroll the table sideways to read every column.
| Tool | How content is organizedThe place to add a new entry and the layout that shows it. | Who can make an update liveThe permissions to check before handing off a draft. | What you can moveWhich content and site pieces can travel. | What affects costHosting, content limits and editor access. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress | Use posts and pages. Themes and extensions can shape how they appear. | A Contributor drafts. An Editor can publish posts by other users. | WXR exports content. A complete restore needs the database and files. | The software is free. Hosting, domains and extensions can cost extra. |
| Webflow | Put entries in a Collection and present them with a shared page layout. | Check individual item publishing separately from the site-wide permission. | Export Collection items as CSV. Paid Workspace code export leaves CMS behavior behind. | Starter lists 50 CMS items. Check the paid Site and Workspace limits separately. |
| Framer | Use a CMS Collection and its page template for repeated entries. | Where supported, Content and Deploy permissions are separate. Check staging and live publishing. | Plugins can export CMS content. Official guidance conflicts on standalone site export. | Basic lists two Collections and 1,000 CMS items. Editing seats can cost extra. |
| Ghost | Write posts for a site and an email newsletter in one publication. | Contributors draft. A publisher chooses website, newsletter or both. | Export posts, members and themes. Self-hosted sites copy media separately. | Ghost(Pro) counts members and staff. Self-hosting adds server and delivery work. |
| Contentful | Define fields and entries. A separately built site or app reads them. | An Author can draft on Lite and Premium. Check the connected site’s refresh after publishing. | Export models, entries and media. Move the site code separately and recreate roles and workflows. | Free is for testing and learning. Paid usage and site hosting can add costs. |
| Sanity | Edit structured documents in Studio. A separate site fetches and displays them. | Growth and Enterprise offer draft-only Contributors. Give the public site the published view. | Export dataset documents and media originals. Keep Studio definitions and site code separately. | Free has two public datasets. Growth charges per counted seat and can add usage costs. |
| Strapi | Define content types in a CMS you host yourself or run on Strapi Cloud. | Check Author and Editor permissions. Automated REST writes can publish if draft status is omitted. | Export local data and media. Recreate admin accounts and tokens, and isolate the import destination. | Community software is free. Managed hosting and paid CMS features are separate costs. |
| Directus | Give editors a browser interface for tables in a connected SQL database. | Scope published reads by record and field. Enable per-collection versioning for drafts. | Export rows, structure and original files separately. Keep a database backup for restoration. | Limited self-hosted Core has no software fee. Cloud hosting and advanced features have separate terms. |
| Payload | Define content in a Next.js code project and edit entries in the generated admin panel. | Configure draft and read rules. Apply access checks explicitly on user-scoped server reads. | Export records with the optional plugin. Retain code, database backups and media separately. | MIT-licensed software. Budget for the app host, database and persistent media. |
| Storyblok | Map content blocks to website layouts and view drafts in the Visual Editor. | Separate published delivery from authorized previews. Check the plan for custom roles. | Backups can include stories and block definitions. Save actual media and site code separately. | Starter includes one Space and one seat. Price editor seats, requests and traffic. |
What does a content export leave behind?
A content export can keep titles, article text and other saved fields. The new site may still need layouts, images, access rules, forms and old links. Write down the pieces your site uses and how you would move or rebuild each one.
A backup that can restore the whole site is a different deliverable. Find out who keeps it and whether it includes files, settings and the saved content you rely on.
How can you check a publishing plan before touching the live site?
Use a fictional resource entry on paper. Pick an editor, a publisher and a reader, then follow the entry through each role. Keep live sites, vendor accounts and integrations disconnected.
- Write one draftFill out the title, summary and link. Decide which page and list should eventually show it.
- Check both permissionsMark the draft as saved and the public item as unchanged. Write who can publish one item and who can publish the whole site. If you need approval, mark both actions to verify later.
- Draw the export and the missing piecesPut the content fields in one column and anything the next site needs in another. Include at least the image, public URL and layout.