Template
A template is a reusable layout and presentation structure used to display a particular kind of page or content.
Templates reduce the need to design and build every page independently.
What It Means in Practice
A website may have templates for:
- Articles
- Case studies
- Service pages
- Product pages
- Events
- Search results
- Collection pages
Every article can contain unique content while sharing the same article template.
How It Relates to Content Types
A content type defines what the information is.
A template defines how that information is presented.
These often work together, but they are not the same concept.
A single content type may even be displayed through multiple templates depending on context.
How Templates Use Components
Templates are commonly assembled from smaller reusable components.
For example, an article template may contain:
- Header
- Author information
- Table of contents
- Article body
- CTA component
- Related articles
- Footer
This creates consistency without requiring every page to contain identical content.
Why It Matters
Templates reduce duplication and make site-wide improvements easier.
If every article uses the same template, improving the author treatment or CTA can update the entire content type rather than requiring dozens of manual edits.
Templates also reduce the risk of individual pages drifting away from the design system.
Common Problems
Common template problems include:
- Creating a separate template for every page
- Putting content directly into the template
- Making templates so rigid they cannot accommodate normal variation
- Duplicating templates for minor styling differences
- Allowing individual pages to override most of the shared structure
- Confusing templates with content models
How to Improve
Build templates around recurring content and layout needs.
Use components for smaller reusable patterns and keep page-specific content in the CMS rather than hardcoding it into the template.