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Case studies

These case studies demonstrate practical workflows for creating and using content templates.

Case study 1: Creating a reusable content template

This case study outlines the process for a Site Builder or Template Author to create a standardised, reusable content template.

Objective

The goal is to create a reusable page pattern for a News Article to enforce structural consistency, control brand elements, and streamline the content creation process for editors. This is achieved by defining a structure with both locked-down and editable content areas.

Process and configuration

The process is executed within a specialized version of the page builder, identified by purple UI cues, which is accessed after creating a Content Template asset.

  1. Initial asset creation

    1. Navigate to Create New  Design and Layout  Content Template in the Squiz CMS.

      Modal showing Content Template creation form with name field and Create button
      Figure 1. Modal showing Content Template creation form with name field and Create button

    2. Name the asset (for example, Standard News Article) and click Create.

    3. From the resulting modal, click the Edit link to enter the page Details screen then select the Content tab to enter the Page Builder interface.

      Template Builder interface showing purple add content buttons and zone management controls
      Figure 2. Template Builder interface showing purple add content buttons and zone management controls

  2. Defining content zones

    A template’s structure is built using Content Zones, which are containers for components and layouts. For this case study, three zones are created:

    • Article Header

    • Article Body

    • Article Footer

  3. Zone-specific configuration

Each zone is configured with specific rules to control the page editor’s experience.

Article Header Zone
Management Type

Configured as template-managed. This locks the structure, preventing editors from adding, removing, or reordering components within this zone.

Content

A Dynamic Header component is added to hold the article’s title. Any default text is removed to provide a clean slate for the editor.

Permissions

The prevent content changes setting is left off. This allows page editors to modify the component’s content (for example, write their own headline) but not its position.

Article Body Zone
Management Type

Configured as page-managed. This designates the zone as an empty area exclusively for page editors to add, arrange, and remove their own content.

Primary Content Zone

This setting is enabled. When the template is first applied to a page that already contains content, all of that pre-existing content will be automatically migrated into this zone, preventing data loss.

Article Footer Zone
Management Type

Configured as template-managed to lock the structure.

Content

An Image Text Row component is added to serve as a consistent, site-wide call-to-action.

Permissions

The prevent content changes setting is turned on. This makes the component and its content completely read-only for the page editor.

  1. Preview and publication

    1. To generate an accurate visual preview, a reference asset (an existing content page) must be selected. The system uses the reference asset for its design context but ignores its content.

    2. The template is published, moving it from a draft to a live version.

    3. The published template is then added to the list of available templates in the site’s DXP settings, making it accessible to content editors.

Outcome

The result is a published Content Template asset. When applied to a content page, this template enforces a consistent structure, protects brand elements (the footer), and provides a clearly defined area for editors to add their unique article content, significantly speeding up the page creation process.

Case study 2: Using a content template to create a page

This case study outlines the workflow for a Content Editor using a pre-configured template to create an individual content page.

Objective

To rapidly create a new News Article page that adheres to the site’s structural and branding guidelines by leveraging the Standard News Article template.

Process and experience

The editor works within the standard page builder interface, but their capabilities are constrained by the rules defined in the applied template.

  1. Applying the template

    1. A new, blank content page is created.

    2. An option is provided to apply a template:

      Page Builder interface showing template application notification and template selection dropdown
      Figure 3. Page Builder interface showing template application notification and template selection dropdown

    3. Clicking the button opens a dialog from which you can select a template.

    4. The Standard News Article template is selected from the available list and applied. The page is instantly populated with the template’s structure, including all pre-defined zones and components.

  2. The constrained editing workflow

The editor’s interface is simplified. Template-managed components cannot be deleted or reordered, and the drag handles are hidden to reflect this locked structure. The editor’s task is to populate the content within the template’s constraints.

Article Header Zone (template-managed)

The editor can click into the Dynamic Header component and add the article’s headline and byline. This is possible because the prevent content changes rule was not enabled for this zone.

Article Body Zone (page-managed)

This zone appears as an empty area where the editor can freely use the add content buttons to add text blocks, images, and other components required for the body of their specific article.

Article Footer Zone (template-managed and locked)

The editor can see the call-to-action component, but it is read-only. They cannot edit its content or remove it from the page.

  1. Preview and publication

    1. After populating all necessary content, the editor uses the standard Preview mode to review the final page.

    2. The individual content page is then saved and published.

Outcome

The content editor successfully creates and publishes a new content page in a fraction of the time it would take to build from scratch. The final page is automatically consistent with the site-wide design standards for news articles, as the template enforced the correct structure and branding.