Sorting CMS collections in Webflow is a crucial aspect of creating dynamic and organized websites. With the ability to display content from your CMS in a specific order, you can ensure that your visitors find what they’re looking for easily. In this tutorial, we will explore how to sort CMS collections using Webflow.
Step 1: Creating a Collection
To begin, you need to have a collection already set up in your Webflow project. If you don’t have one yet, you can easily create a new collection by navigating to the “CMS” tab in the Webflow Designer and selecting “Collections.” From there, click on the “+ New Collection” button and follow the prompts to create your desired collection.
Once you have created your collection, it’s time to add some content. Click on the “Add Item” button and fill out all the necessary fields for each item in your collection. Make sure that each item has a unique identifier such as a name or ID number.
Step 2: Setting Up Sort Orders
Now that you have your collection set up with content, it’s time to sort it. In Webflow, sorting is done through the use of sort orders. Each field within your collection can be used as a sort order criterion.
To define sort orders for your collection, go back to the CMS tab and select “Collection settings.” From there, choose the desired collection from the dropdown menu and scroll down to find the “Sort Order” section.
- Ascending Order: By default, Webflow sorts items in ascending order based on their creation date. This means that newer items will appear at the bottom of your list.
- Descending Order: If you prefer to display newer items at the top of your list, you can choose descending order instead.
- Custom Sort Order: This option allows you to define a specific sort order based on a field within your collection. For example, if you have a “Priority” field, you can sort your items based on their priority level.
Step 3: Customizing Sort Orders
If you choose the “Custom Sort Order” option, you can further customize how your collection is sorted. To do this, click on the “Add field” button in the “Custom Sort Order” section.
You will see a dropdown menu with all the fields available in your collection. Select the field that you want to use as the sort order criterion. For example, if you want to sort by priority, select the “Priority” field.
Step 4: Sorting Multiple Fields
Webflow also allows you to sort your collection based on multiple fields. This can be useful when you need to prioritize items based on different criteria.
To add multiple sort fields, simply click on the “Add field” button again and select another field from the dropdown menu. For instance, if you want to sort by priority and then by creation date, add both the “Priority” and “Creation Date” fields as sort orders.
Step 5: Previewing Your Sorted Collection
After defining your sort orders, it’s time to preview how your sorted collection will appear on your website. To do this, go back to the Designer tab and add a Collection List element to your page.
Once added, select your desired collection from the element settings panel and make sure that the “Sort By” option matches your chosen criteria. You can also choose whether to display items in ascending or descending order.
With everything set up, preview your website and navigate to a page that displays your sorted collection. You should now see your CMS items arranged according to your specified sorting criteria.
Conclusion
Sorting CMS collections in Webflow is a powerful feature that allows you to organize your website’s content in a way that makes sense to your visitors. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can easily set up and customize the sorting of your CMS collections, ensuring a seamless user experience.