General Concepts

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What Is Concrete CMS?

Concrete CMS combines the simplicity of user-friendly web builders with the robustness of a full-fledged framework. It's crafted to empower both individuals with minimal technical skills to create small websites effortlessly and agencies to develop complex, client-focused sites. With its intuitive interface, reminiscent of platforms like Squarespace or Wix, Concrete CMS makes web building accessible to everyone. Underneath this simplicity lies a powerful framework, integrating custom components and elements from Laravel and Symfony, supporting modern PHP standards. This dual nature makes Concrete CMS versatile, catering to both straightforward site creation and complex, custom-developed commercial websites.

The Basics

At the heart of your website are Pages, which map directly to URLs on your website. Pages all exist within a tree called the Sitemap, which helps manage permissions and build navigations.

Within the pages, content and functionality is organized into Areas. These are segments where you can place and arrange Blocks – the building blocks of your site, like text, images, or interactive features. Blocks are versatile and can be used repeatedly across your site through Stacks, which group together blocks for consistent, site-wide use.

The visual appearance of your website is shaped by Themes. Themes contain Page Templates that control the layout of your page, and Page Types which define meta data, workflow, and permissions associated with different types of content across your site. For instance, a 'blog post' and a 'press release' Page Type might both utilize a 'left sidebar' or 'full-width' Template for a consistent look across the site.

Logging In

Begin by logging into your Concrete CMS site:

  1. Access the Login Page: Go to yourwebsite.com/index.php/login.
  2. Enter Credentials: Use your provided username and password.
  3. Dashboard Access: Upon logging in, you'll land on the Dashboard, your central hub for site management.

In-Context Editing

Edit content directly where it appears:

  1. Navigate to the Page: Go to the page you want to edit.
  2. Enter Edit Mode: Click the "Edit" button on the toolbar.
  3. Edit and Rearrange: Click on blocks to edit content. Drag and drop blocks to rearrange elements.
  4. Save Changes: Click "Save" or "Publish" to apply your edits.

Understanding the Toolbar

The toolbar is divided into page-specific and site-wide functions:

  • Left Side (Page-Specific):

    • Edit: Toggle edit mode for the current page.
    • Settings: Adjust settings for the current page.
    • Add: Add new blocks to the current page.

  • Right Side (Site-Wide):

    • Intelligent Search: Quickly find pages, settings, or documentation.
    • Help: Access help resources.
    • Add Pages: Create new pages for your site.
    • Dashboard: Manage overall site settings and configurations.

Edit Mode vs. Dashboard

Distinguish between localized and global site management:

  • Edit Mode (Page-Specific):

    • Purpose: For modifying and rearranging content on individual pages.
    • Usage: Click "Edit" to add, edit, and move blocks within a page.
    • Flexibility: Offers a hands-on approach to page design and layout.

  • Dashboard (Site-Wide):

    • Purpose: For overarching site management tasks.
    • Access: Reachable via the "Dashboard" button on the toolbar.
    • Capabilities: Includes user management, site-wide settings, theme customization, and more.

Creating and Managing Content

  • Drag and Drop Blocks: In Edit Mode, easily move content around the page for a dynamic layout.
  • Add New Pages: Use "Add Pages" to expand your site with new content areas.
  • Site-Wide Adjustments: For broad changes like theme or navigation, head to the Dashboard.

File Manager

The File Manager in Concrete CMS is your central tool for managing images, documents, and other media files on your website. It's designed for versioning and setting permissions on these files, ensuring a streamlined and secure way to handle website content. However, it's important to note that the File Manager is not intended for managing PHP or other server files; it focuses solely on the media and documents that form part of your site's content.

Users & Groups

Concrete CMS offers flexible user management through its "Members" section. You can create any number of users, from a single site owner to a diverse range of members. Organize these users into User Groups to classify and manage them efficiently. Groups can be more than just organizational tools; they enable you to assign specific permissions, like granting access to exclusive site areas. This system of users and groups provides endless possibilities for customizing site access and functionality, catering to your site's unique needs.

Permissions

Permissions in Concrete CMS define what pages can be seen, and what users or groups can do, like publishing or deleting pages, and managing files. Workflows add another layer, enabling approval processes for actions like publishing changes. For detailed control, enable "Advanced Permissions" to fine-tune user interactions on your site.