Framer CMS or static sections? How to decide

One of the first decisions in any Framer build is where content should live. Put everything in the CMS and simple pages become awkward to edit. Put nothing in the CMS and adding one project means rebuilding a grid. Here is how I decide.

Use a collection when content repeats

If you can imagine the list growing, it belongs in the CMS. Projects, blog posts, templates, job openings, changelog entries, team members. The test is simple: will you ever add a fifth item? If yes, make a collection and design one card that repeats.

You also get detail pages for free. One template page, and every item gets its own URL, its own SEO title and its own social image.

Keep it static when content is unique

A hero, a manifesto, a pricing table with three fixed plans, an about section. These are written once and designed carefully. Moving them into the CMS adds fields and indirection without saving any time.

The middle ground: components with controls

Some content repeats but never grows, like three service rows or four stats. A component with text controls is often the best fit. You get consistency and quick edits without a collection nobody will ever add to.

A few CMS habits that pay off

• Name fields for editors, not for yourself: “Cover image” beats “img1”.

• Add an optional video field next to image covers. A short loop makes a card feel alive, and cards fall back to the image when the field is empty.

• Use date fields for sorting, so the newest item always appears first without manual reordering.

• Limit lists on the home page and link to a full index page.

This site follows the same rules. Templates and journal posts live in collections, services are components, and the introduction is plain canvas. Each piece sits where it’s easiest to change.