Understanding content templates

Content templates are an asset type in Squiz Content Management used to create reusable content page patterns.

They are built using a template-specific iteration of the Page Builder interface; the Template Builder.

About content templates

Content templates provide a structured approach to page creation, ensuring consistent layout and component placement across multiple pages.

They address common content management challenges:

Consistency: Templates enforce identical structure and styling across pages of the same type.
Efficiency: Content editors fill in predefined structures rather than building layouts from scratch.
Governance: Templates enforce content standards and brand guidelines.
Scalability: Templates maintain consistent quality as content volume increases.
Training: New content editors work within established patterns rather than learning page structure.

How templates and layouts differ

Layouts are developer-defined HTML wrappers that provide structure, such as columns or grids, and define zones where content can be placed.

Templates are patterns of content that can include layouts and components.

Their versioning also differs. Layouts use dev and prod tags managed through the Squiz DXP console. Templates have draft and live versions.

When should you use them?

Use content templates in these scenarios:

Consistent page types: Pages that follow the same structure, such as news articles, product pages, or event listings.
Multiple content creators: Sites where different editors create similar content and need consistent structure.
Brand compliance: Pages requiring strict adherence to design standards and component placement.
Content governance: Situations where you need to control what editors can modify and what remains locked.
Scalable content creation: Sites with high content volume where efficiency in page creation is important.
Training efficiency: Environments where new content creators need to be productive quickly.

When should you not use them?

Content templates are not suitable for these scenarios:

Unique pages: Pages that require completely custom layouts or one-off designs should not use templates.
Experimental content: Pages used for testing new layouts or design concepts need flexibility that templates restrict.
Highly variable content: Pages where content structure changes significantly between instances may not benefit from template constraints.
Complex conditional layouts: Pages requiring dynamic layout changes based on content or user context may need manual creation.
Legacy content migration: Existing pages with established, working structures may not need template conversion if they already meet design and style requirements.
Temporary content: Pages with short lifespans or one-time use may not justify the template creation overhead.

Common use cases

Content templates are used for these page types:

News articles: Standardized article structure with headers, bylines, content blocks, and related content sections.
Product pages: Consistent appearance of product information, including descriptions, specifications, images, and purchase details.
Landing pages: Standardized marketing pages with hero sections, feature highlights, and call-to-action elements.
Event pages: Standardized event information appearance with date/time formatting, location details, and registration information.
Blog posts: Consistent post structure with headers, content formatting, and social sharing elements.

Comparing templates with other approaches

Approach	Purpose	Use case
Templates	Define content patterns and structure	Enforce structure across multiple pages
Layouts	Provide HTML wrappers and visual containers	Define page structure and zones
Components	Individual reusable elements	Add specific functionality to pages
Page Variations	Test different versions of the same page	A/B testing and optimization
Manual Creation	Complete flexibility in page structure	Unique pages requiring custom layouts

Approach

Purpose

Use case

Templates

Define content patterns and structure

Enforce structure across multiple pages

Layouts

Provide HTML wrappers and visual containers

Define page structure and zones

Components

Individual reusable elements

Add specific functionality to pages

Page Variations

Test different versions of the same page

A/B testing and optimization

Manual Creation

Complete flexibility in page structure

Unique pages requiring custom layouts

When to use layouts versus templates

Use layouts when you need:

Structural foundation: Define page structure, columns, grids, and content zones.
Visual framework: Provide consistent visual layout across different content types.
Developer control: Maintain layout changes through development workflows.

Use templates when you need:

Content patterns: Enforce consistent content structure and component placement.
Editor efficiency: Provide predefined page structures for content editors.
Content governance: Control what content editors can and cannot modify.

Planning and visual cues

Plan the template structure. Most specifically, plan which parts of the template will be locked down and which will be available for editing by content editors and others.

Central to planning a template’s structure are content zones and zone rules.

Templates introduce distinct visual cues to help users understand when they are working with template-managed content versus regular page content.

Identifying zones in templates

The outline shows distinct visual cues to differentiate template zones from standard components:

In the Outline

Color and Visual Weight: Zones are represented in a light gray color with more visual weight, making them appear as a structural element.
Styling: Template zones have a heavier and distinct outline style compared to components.

Icons/Indicators

Components themselves have a small circle dot icon, which differs from how template zones are depicted.

Drag Handles: A template zone block has its own drag handle, similar to a component, allowing the entire template zone block to be moved.

Template Builder versus Squiz Page Builder interface

There are key differences between editing a template in Template Builder and editing a content page with a template applied in Squiz Page Builder:

Template Builder (for editing a template)

Purpose: This environment is for template authors or developers to build and define the structure and default content of a template.
Visual Cues: The add content icons are purple as a visual indicator that you are in Template Builder.
Zone Control: You have full control over content zones, including the ability to add multiple zones, rename them, reorder them, and configure their settings.
Component Control: You can add any component, fill it with placeholder values.
Structural Editing: You can rearrange the order of zones and layouts within the template.

Squiz Page Builder (for editing a content page with a template applied)

Purpose: This environment is for content editors to fill in a content page that already has a template applied.
Visual Cues: The Add content buttons are teal, distinguishing it from Template Builder.
Zone Control: You interact with the zones as defined by the template.
Component Control: By default, you can edit the values of components within template-managed zones. You cannot, however, remove the components or add new ones.
Structural Editing: Structural editing functions are deactivated. Drag handles for template-managed elements are not visible.

Template management

Content templates require management to ensure they serve their intended purpose while maintaining flexibility for content creators.

Template creation requires these permissions:

Template Authors: Users with template creation permissions can design and build new templates.
Content Managers: Users with content management permissions can approve templates and make them available to content creators.
Site Administrators: Users with administrative permissions can configure template settings and manage template availability.

Templates undergo review before being made available:

Design Review: Templates are reviewed for design consistency, usability, and brand compliance.
Content Review: Templates are tested with sample content to ensure they work as intended.
Technical Review: Templates are validated for technical requirements and performance.
Approval: Approved templates are published and made available to content creators.

Template updates require management:

Impact Assessment: Changes to published templates affect all pages that use those templates.
Testing: Template updates should be tested in a staging environment before deployment.
Communication: Content creators should be notified of template changes that affect their work.
Rollback Planning: Procedures should be in place to roll back template changes if issues arise.

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