4-create-content.md

Create content

In this page, you will learn to create content in the CMS. Once you created it, you will fetch it using the SDK in the next steps

Step 1. Create a "home" content with type Article

1. Go to your CMS and click "Create Content"

   

2. Put "Home" as name and select content type Article

   

3. Fill some content

4. Click "Publish" → "Publish Content"

   

Step 2. Create an application

Option A: Manual (UI-based)

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Create Application

2. Enter an Application Name (e.g., my-app) - API ID is auto-generated

3. Select a start page: From Existing → Home

4. Click Create Application

   

Option B: Programmatic (Config-based)

Create content and applications automatically using optimizely.config.mjs:

1. Define content array - specify content to create from existing contentTypes:

   export default buildConfig({
     components: ['./src/components/**/*.tsx'],
     content: [
       {
         key: 'HomeContent',           // unique key for reference
         displayName: 'Home',           // display name in CMS
         contentType: 'Article',        // existing contentType key
       },
     ],
     applications: [
       {
         key: 'my_app',
         displayName: 'My App',
         type: 'website',
         isDefault: true,
         entryPoint: 'HomeContent',     // reference content key
         hosts: [
           {
             authority: 'localhost:3000',
             type: 'primary',
             preferredUrlScheme: 'https',
           },
         ],
         // Optional - defaults shown below
         previewUrlFormats: {
           any: '{host}/preview?key={key}&ver={version}&loc={locale}&ctx={context}',
         },
       },
     ],
   });

2. Run config push:

   optimizely-cms-cli config push

   This creates content instances from the content array and applications automatically.

How it works:

The application creation operates on the following order with explicit dependencies:

1. Content instances (defined in the content array) instantiate Page (_page) or Experience (_experience) content by referencing existing contentType definitions. Each instance specifies a contentType key and provides display metadata for CMS presentation.

2. Applications (defined in the applications array) establish the deployment context for content. Each application designates an entryPoint that references a content instance key, defining the application's start page. Applications also configure routing hosts, preview URL patterns, and application-level settings.

The CLI enforces this dependency chain during config push: contentTypes must exist before content instances can reference them, and content instances must exist before applications can designate them as entry points.

Step 3. Change the "home" URL

1. Go to your CMS → Content → Home
2. Scroll down and under "Name in URL" click "Change"
3. Leave the field blank.
4. Click "Publish" → "Publish Content"

Next steps

Now you are ready to fetch the content you just created.