Create your own content types

A content type is your own kind of content with its own fields. A roofer might add Service areas (city, ZIP codes, response time), a law firm Practice areas, any business Team or Testimonials. Each item gets its own page, and a listing page can show them all.

Start from a ready-made type

System → Content Types lists your content types and, under Start from a ready-made type, four ready-made ones: Team, Locations, Practice areas and Testimonials, each with useful fields.

Click Use this on one, check the names and fields, and click Create content type. Or click Add content type (1) to start from scratch, as below.

Create a content type

1. Go to System → Content Types and click Add content type.
2. Under Names and address, type what one item is called in One item is called (1), for example "Service area", and the plural in Several are called (2), "Service areas".
3. Type the Web address (3), for example /service-areas/. Each item's page will be at that address plus its name.
4. Choose what Search engines should understand these as: for example Person for team members, LocalBusiness for locations, Service for services.
5. Under Listing page, keep Show a page listing all of them at the web address (4) ticked if you want a page that lists every item. Give it a Page title and Intro text, and choose Cards per row and Order.
6. Under Categories (optional), click + Add category (5) for each group, for example "Metro Denver" and "Foothills". Choose a Parent to make a sub-category.
7. Add your fields (see below).
8. Click Create content type.

The new type now has its own item under Content in the sidebar.

Fields

Each field is one detail you fill in for every item.

1. Click + Add field (6).
2. Type the field name (1), for example "City".
3. Choose its type (2): Short text, Long text, Formatted text, Number, Price, Date, Email, Phone, Link (URL), Links and social profiles, Map (Google Maps), Image, Image gallery, Related items (another content type), Choice (dropdown) or Yes/no.
4. Tick Required (3) if every item must have it.
5. Click More for extra settings: help text, the Schema property for search engines, Show on the item's page and Show on listing cards (5). For a Choice (dropdown), type the Choices, one per line (4).

Drag a field by its ⋮⋮ handle to change the order. Remove deletes a field; values already typed for it no longer show.

Add an item

1. In the sidebar, under Content, click your content type (for example Service areas), then Add New.

2. Type the item's name (1), for example "Lakewood", and click Create draft (2).

   

3. Fill in the details box: a Summary (1) shown under the name and on cards, your fields (2), a picture (3) and the Categories (4).

4. Click Publish.

A draft may be unfinished, but when you publish, PageShift checks required fields and formats, for example "Phone must be a phone number."

Change or delete a content type

Click Edit next to the type in System → Content Types (1), change it, and click Save changes.

• Changing the web address moves every item; PageShift adds redirects from the old addresses.
• Make it an editable page turns the listing into a normal page you can add sections to. Switch back to automatic undoes it.
• Page layout for each item lets you keep the Standard layout (recommended) or design your own with Create a custom layout.
• Delete only works when the type has no items left, including items in the Trash.