Traditional content management systems (CMS) often come with a significant limitation: you're usually fixed with displaying everything that's entered in the backend.
This can lead to a cluttered and less user-friendly experience, as all fields are displayed regardless of their relevance.
For example, if a product listing includes an optional discount field, but not every product has a discount, showing this field for every product can confuse users and detract from the overall design and functionality of your site.
The inability to selectively display content means you might end up showing placeholder text, empty fields, or irrelevant information.
What if you only want to show the price of a product if the price is entered in the backend?
Or display a promotional banner only to new visitors?
These scenarios require a more dynamic approach to content management.
In this blog, we'll explore how Framer CMS addresses these issues by providing tools to hide and show elements based on specific conditions, allowing for a more flexible and dynamic website experience.
What is the Framer CMS?
Framer CMS is a modern, design-centric content management system focuses on providing designers and developers with a highly visual and intuitive interface for managing content.
This makes it easier to create visually appealing and interactive websites without extensive coding knowledge.
A CMS pulls data from a database to populate the content on your website.
This database can store various types of data, such as text, images, videos, and more.
When a user visits your site, the CMS retrieves the relevant data and displays it according to the predefined layout and design.
How to Hide/Show Elements Dynamically In Framer CMS
Use the Visible Toggle
Framer CMS offers a "visible toggle" feature that allows you to hide or show elements based on conditions set in the backend.
This feature can be incredibly powerful for creating dynamic websites that respond to user inputs and backend data changes.
This allows you to create personalized user experiences by showing or hiding content based on specific criteria, such as user preferences, data availability, or interaction history.
How to Set Visible Toggles in Framer
Setting visible toggles in Framer CMS is a straightforward process that enables you to control the display of elements based on backend conditions.
Here’s how to do it in 5 simple steps:
Start by selecting the element on your design canvas that you want to hide or show conditionally.
In the properties panel, find the "Visible" option and click on it.
Next to the "Visible" option, click on the "+" icon to add a new condition.
A list of your CMS fields will appear. Select the field you want to base your condition on.
You can choose different conditions like "is set," "is equal to," "contains," etc., to specify when the element should be visible.
For example, if you want to show a an optional section to download files only if the download link is entered in the backend, you can:
Select the section you want to show/hide.
Click on "Visible" and then the "+" icon.
Choose the "link" field from the CMS.
Set the condition to "is set"
This means the download section will only be shown if a link is entered in the backend.
Similarly, if you're building a related products section and want to show more bags, you can:
Select the related products element.
Click on "Visible" and then the "+" icon.
Choose the your title field from the CMS.
Set the condition to "contains" and enter the word "bag."
This ensures that any products with the word "bag" in the title will be displayed.
Closing Thoughts
By hiding elements based on conditions, you can make your CMS as dynamic as possible.
For example, you can hide a "Buy Now" button if a product is out of stock or show a special offer banner only to first-time visitors.
These conditional elements can significantly enhance the user experience by providing relevant and timely content.
FAQ
What is Framer CMS?
Framer CMS is a content management system integrated with Framer, designed to provide a visual and intuitive way to manage website content.
How does Framer CMS pull data?
Framer CMS pulls data from a backend database, displaying it on the website according to the design and layout specified by the user.
Can I hide elements using Framer CMS?
Yes, Framer CMS offers a visible toggle feature that allows you to hide or show elements based on conditions set in the backend.
Why would I want to hide elements?
Hiding elements can keep your website clean and relevant, showing only the necessary information based on user interactions or backend data.
Can I show elements conditionally in Framer CMS?
Yes, you can set conditions in the backend to display elements only when certain criteria are met, such as showing a price only if it's entered.
Is Framer CMS suitable for dynamic websites?
Absolutely. Framer CMS provides powerful tools for creating dynamic websites that can respond to user inputs and backend data changes.
