Content Types

Content types define the structure of your content. They tell LeadCMS how to interpret the frontmatter in your MDX or JSON files and how to organise the data in the database. Choosing the right content types is the foundation of a well‑structured site because it directly affects routing, page layouts and how editors interact with your CMS.

Built‑in types

Out of the box, LeadCMS ships with a few essential content types. These cover the minimum requirements for any website:

• Home – Used for the homepage. Stored in MDX with no comments or cover image.
• Component – JSON configuration blocks for reusable pieces such as header, footer or site metadata.
• Not Found – MDX content shown on 404 pages, also with no comments or cover image.

These predefined types ensure your site has basic pages ready to go.

Designing new types

When your website needs additional pages or data models, you can define your own content types. Here are some guidelines drawn from our architecture principles:

• Model structure, not URLs. Base your types on the structure and purpose of the page—not its URL. For example, use separate blog-index and blog-article types when list and detail views have different fields, but use a single doc type if all documentation pages share the same structure.
• Follow standard patterns. Reuse common types where possible: home, doc, blog-index/blog-article, legal, contact, not-found, component. This keeps your schema predictable and makes it easier for editors to understand.
• Choose the right format. Use MDX for narrative pages with rich text and embedded components. Use JSON for structured configuration where there is no free‑form text. Both MDX and JSON require a type attribute to link them to a content type.
• Use required frontmatter. Every MDX file must include title, description, slug, type, author, language, publishedAt, coverImageUrl and coverImageAlt. Without publishedAt the content remains a draft and is invisible on the site.

Following these best practices will help you build a scalable schema that supports growth without cluttering your CMS with unnecessary types.

Creating content types via the CLI

If you're working locally with the content‑first workflow, the simplest way to create a new type is to let the CLI do it for you. Write your MDX or JSON file in .leadcms/content/ with a type that doesn't exist yet, then run:

pnpm exec leadcms push

The push command will detect unknown types and prompt you to create them in your LeadCMS instance. You’ll be asked to choose a content format (MDX or JSON) and whether the type supports cover images or supports comments. After confirming, the CLI creates the new type and uploads your content.

This method is ideal when prototyping or migrating content, because you can define everything locally and then synchronise it with the CMS in one step.

Creating content types in the Admin UI

You can also create types through the LeadCMS web interface. This is useful for content editors or when you’re not working directly with code. To add a custom type:

Once created, your new type appears in the content type picker and can be assigned to any MDX or JSON file. You can define as many types as you need to organise your content.

Next steps

With your content types defined, you’re ready to populate them with content and media. Continue with: