How to create the right CMS collection for my products

Hi!

This is my first experience with CMS. Help me please.

There are 4 types of products: chairs, tables, countertops and supports. Now they are in the same collection. And they have one common page. But products have slightly different types of characteristics. How to display the appropriate characteristics for each type on the product page? Or do I need to create 4 CMS collections?

And if I create 4 collections, how can I display them on the main page, as of now?

I hope that I clearly explained. I’m waiting for help, I won’t figure it out myself


Here is my public share link: https://preview.webflow.com/preview/lovko?utm_medium=preview_link&utm_source=designer&utm_content=lovko&preview=8a6e223e6dcdc52eeffd5677e7212c79&mode=preview

CMS is database design. In the world of databases, databases have tables, filled with records. In the world of Webflow, database is the CMS, tables are named Collections, and records are named Items.

The fundamental thing you need to understand about databases is that they’re using crossed tables, known in the Webflow world as Referenced Collections.

The principle is easy to understand: a referenced collection prevents having to enter redundant informations in a CMS item, and allows also for very efficient sorting of Collecton Items.

Example using your case: You have products and they spread into 4 categories. Well, you’re going to create a new Collection, and call it Categories. For the time being, only the Name field is required. So create the collection and fill it with your 4 collection items, each one representing 1 category. now, open your products Collection settings and add a field: Reference, pointing to the Categories collection. And for each product item, edit and set the appropriate categry.

Now you know how to make relationships in a database. Category is the obvious example, it could be a collection of authors, countries… anything that is repetitive. The immediate beneift now is you can have pages for categories and list only the products relative to it, same for collection lists.

Now to your specific question: in your product collection template page, you’ll first design all the elements that are common to all products. then create an area (div, section…) for each category specific things. Design them, they so all appear on one page for every product.

Now select those areas one by one. For example, select the area containing specific things for countertops products. Select it, then in the Settings panel, add a Conditional visibility with the rule: visible when Category is Countertops.

Thank you very much. I think I understood the logic. I don’t fully understand everything, but I’ll try to implement

You’ll get better. Webflow is a great way to learn about web/tech concepts such as HTML, CSS, Box model, CMS database design… what you do in Webflow is the same you’d be doing with another CMS solution. It’s just visual and better, more straigh forward, but it’s not new nor unique.

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I had never before encountered any CMS at all (not only with CMS Webflow, but also with others). Webflow has great support. It inspires and gives confidence)) Thank you :slightly_smiling_face:

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I want to say thanks again. Everything works) You are well explained. I am still learning how to find the simplest solutions and how to create fewer classes.

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Thanks a ton for coming back to say that :slight_smile: Don’t hesitate to reach for help again.

Having a lot of classes is Ok, as long as it works. Having a lot of nested elements is OK too.

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