Overview

Optimizely CMS (SaaS) is a versatile headless content management system (CMS) that lets you manage and distribute content across multiple platforms. By separating content management from the presentation layer, you can deliver rich digital experiences on any device or platform. CMS (SaaS) provides the flexibility and scalability needed to meet diverse business requirements.

Features overview

CMS (SaaS) features an interactive UI where you can author content and view a live preview using Optimizely's Visual Builder. Additionally, CMS (SaaS) offers a REST API for configuring your instances and Optimizely Graph to easily retrieve content. Managing content in CMS (SaaS) lets you focus on delivering business value on the front end.

Key tools

Visual Builder – Provides an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface where you can create and organize content with real-time previews.
REST API – Lets developers programmatically configure CMS instances, set up content types, and manage other resources.
Optimizely Graph – Facilitates efficient content retrieval across platforms for consistent, structured digital experiences.

Content

Content in CMS (SaaS) can be

simple or complex as needed, from basic text blocks to intricate page layouts.
flexible, allowing for text, images, videos, and custom components tailored to your needs.
organized using content types and properties that define structure and presentation.

Headless

Headless refers to a system architecture where the back end and front end of an application are separated. This lets each part of the application operate independently. You can easily adapt CMSs to headless architectures by separating the presentation layer(front end) from the content (back end).

Advantages of going headless

Scalability – Configure multiple websites and applications without affecting the functionality of your current sites.
Enhanced security – Separate the content from the presentation layer to reduce vulnerability to potential attacks.
Future-proofing – Maintain a flexible architecture that lets your website or app adapt to technological changes.
Fast speed – Achieve faster load times and greater stability with headless platforms.
Customization – Customize both the front and back ends of your app for tailored experiences.

Workflow overview

The CMS (SaaS) workflow involves three main stages that developers and content managers follow iteratively.

Define content – Developers architect the structure of the content in a platform-agnostic way. Use the CMS (SaaS) REST API or the configuration UI to create content types in CMS (SaaS), which are mapped to base types in Optimizely Graph.
Create content – Content managers use the defined content model to manage content. The Visual Builder lets you interactively add and update content easily.
Deploy content – After changes are approved, sync and display content seamlessly across any front-end platform. Optimizely Graph ensures efficient content retrieval.

For step-by-step instructions on using CMS (SaaS) see Get started.