Examples in this topic are based on an empty Optimizely Content Management System (CMS) project, as described in [Create a starter project](🔗).

## Create content

A content instance is an [instance of a content type](🔗). Content types are usually defined in code as classes based on a model decorated with `ContentTypeAttribute` inheriting from some base class like for example `EPiServer.Core.PageData`.

Inheriting from a base class like `PageData` provides access to many **built-in properties**, for example `Name`, `ContentLink`, and `ParentLink`. Built-in properties are predefined and set by the system when a page is created, and are always available regardless of content type. You can also add your own **user-defined properties**, based on available property types. See [Built-in property types](🔗) and [Property attributes](🔗).

The following code shows a simple page type. `MainBody`is a property of type `XhtmlString` for adding content using a text editor.

The same page type as it appears in admin view.

The GUID attribute on the `ContentTypeAttribute` is the unique ID for a content type. Having the GUID in code is useful because you can refactor your code without getting duplicate content types in your database. It also reduces problems when you import and export content between databases.

A page based on the same page type in All properties editing mode. Notice the default **Content** and **Settings** tabs, and their built-in properties.

## Tabs

**Tabs** are used for organizing related properties in edit view in a logical order. Use the attributes `GroupName` and `Order` to specify the tabs and order for properties on a page type. See [Group content types and properties](🔗) for how to create custom tabs and organize properties on them.

## Edit content

You can edit content in CMS either through the **All properties** view, or through **On-page** editing. The UI framework has a server-side part based on ASP.NET MVC Core, and a client-side part using the JavaScript library Dojo. The UI also has context-awareness where components will automatically reload when the context changes, see [Editing user interface](🔗).

A page based on a page type without a template (controller/view), can only be edited from the All properties mode, as it has no rendering. Also, there will be no **preview **available.

Adding rendering to a content type using the HTML helper `Html.PropertyFor`, will add rendering of property values based on their property type. Adding this rendering will automatically make both preview and On-page editing available. See [Content types](🔗).

## XHTML Editor

The default XHTML editor installed with CMS is [TinyMCE editor](🔗), a flexible WYSIWYG editor providing clean validated XHTML markup. A standard installation of CMS provides built-in editor functionality, like drag-and-drop of files and images from the Assets pane into the editor.

## Content versioning

You can add a Versions gadget to the assets pane in the user interface, to manage different versions of for example a page. See _Working with versions_ in the CMS User Guide.

Most content items in CMS can be _versioned_. Implementing `IVersionable` for a content item will add support for a set of content version states. The `StartPublish` and `StopPublish` properties for example, control the publish and expiration dates for content. See [Content versions](🔗).

Content items are automatically versioned in a standard installation. The `MaximumVersions` attribute on the `ContentOptions`, defines the number of previously published content versions that the system will keep, default value is 20. The value can also be changed from the admin view under **Config **> **System Settings**. Selecting **Unlimited** versions will set `"uiMaxVersions = 0"`, meaning that an unlimited number of versions will be kept.

You can compare different versions of a page to see what changes have been done in each version. See _Compare versions_ in the CMS User Guide.