Content Model
A content model defines the types of content in a system, the information each type contains, and the relationships between those types.
It describes content structurally rather than treating every piece of information as an independent page.
What It Defines
A content model can define:
- Content types
- Fields
- Attributes
- Relationships
- Required information
- Optional information
- Reusable references
- Allowed values
For example, a Case Study content type might contain:
- Client name
- Project title
- Description
- Services
- Industry
- Outcomes
- Featured image
- Related resources
That structure can then be reused for every case study.
How It Works
Content modelling separates the meaning of information from the layout used to display it.
The content model says:
This is a project title.
The template decides:
Display project titles here, at this size, in this layout.
That separation makes the same information easier to reuse across different pages or interfaces.
Why It Matters
Without a content model, structured information often ends up embedded manually into individual page layouts.
That makes reuse, filtering, migration, automation, and redesign more difficult.
A good content model helps both humans and computers understand what information exists and how it relates.
Common Problems
Common modelling problems include:
- Treating every page as unstructured rich text
- Creating fields based entirely on the current design
- Storing several different concepts inside one field
- Creating almost-identical content types
- Making fields mandatory without a meaningful reason
- Designing around the limitations of the current CMS
- Modelling information without considering how editors actually maintain it
How to Improve
Start with meaning rather than layout.
Identify repeated kinds of information, define their attributes, and document how they relate.
Then configure the CMS and templates around that model.