If you’re in the business of building Framer websites, or you just dabble for fun, you’ve likely heard about Framer CMS.
Well, the Framer CMS just got better with its exciting feature: CMS References.
Trust me, by the end of this, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it!
What is Framer CMS?
You know when you’re trying to manage a website, and it feels like you’re juggling too many balls at once?
That’s where a CMS comes in to save the day.
At its core, a Content Management System (CMS) is a tool that allows you to manage your website content without constantly coding.
You can easily add blogs, case studies, or new products without needing to create a fresh new page from scratch every time.
Imagine writing a blog post, hitting “publish,” and boom—your site is updated without you even breaking a sweat.
You can read a detailed guide here.
Framer CMS takes this experience and amplifies it with its sleek, user-friendly interface.
It’s fast. It’s modern.
And that CMS just got better.
How? Two words: CMS References.
What are CMS References in Framer?
Now, here’s where things get spicy.
CMS References in Framer knows how to keep everything organized and in-sync.
Imagine you’re running a real estate website.
You’ve got a ton of listings, and each one is associated with a real estate agent.
What if your agent changes, or worse, leaves the company? Do you want to manually update every single listing to reflect that change?
Of course not! That sounds like a nightmare.
This is where CMS References comes in.
With Framer’s CMS References, you can link different CMS collections together.
That means you can have a collection for real estate listings and another for agents. And if an agent changes, you just update the CMS reference—it’ll automatically update all the listings linked to that agent.
It’s like magic—but better. Because it’s real.
Real-World Use Cases for Framer CMS References
You might be thinking, “Okay, I get it—but how does this help me?”
Great question. Let’s look at some practical examples where CMS References make life infinitely easier.
1. Blogs with Multiple Authors
Say you run a blog that has several contributors. Instead of manually entering the author’s name for each post, you create an Authors CMS Collection.
Now, when you write a blog, you simply reference the author from a dropdown menu. Easy peasy.
Have multiple authors for a single blog? No problem—Framer’s got multi-reference fields to save the day.
2. Event Schedules & Speakers
For event websites, CMS References are a game changer. Imagine you have a series of events, and each event features multiple speakers.
Instead of typing in each speaker for every event (ugh, repetitive tasks), you can create a Speakers CMS Collection and reference them in the Event CMS Collection.
Update a speaker? Bam—it’s updated everywhere.
3. Products and Categories
Have an e-commerce site?
CMS References are your secret weapon. You can link products to categories, so when a customer clicks on a category (e.g., "Sneakers"), they’ll see all the products under that category.
Got new sneakers in stock?
Just add them to the category, and they’ll show up where they need to—automatically.
No extra work.
How to Set Up CMS References in Framer
Here’s how to set up CMS References in Framer:
Create Your Main CMS Collection Think of this as your primary content hub. It could be anything—your blog posts, product listings, case studies, etc.
Create a New CMS Collection to Use as a Reference: This will be a separate CMS collection—say, Authors, Categories, Speakers, or Agents. Each of these references will have its own set of fields.
Link the Collections: Now the magic happens. Go to your Main CMS Collection → click Edit fields → hit the + button → select Reference or Multi-reference.
Reference = when you want to link to just one item (e.g., a product with a single category).
Multi-reference = when you need to link multiple items (e.g., an event with multiple speakers).
Select From the Dropdown: After adding the reference field, head over to any item in your main CMS collection (like a blog post or event). Now, you can choose from a dropdown of items in the reference collection.
Update the Design: Add a design element on your site where the reference will display. This could be the author’s name under the blog post title or the list of speakers on an event page.
Bonus Tip: Make a detail page for your referenced items. You can create an index page that lists all authors, speakers, or agents. This way, you can filter content by references—like seeing all blog posts from a particular author or all products from a specific category.
Closing Thoughts: Why Framer CMS is a Game-Changer
In the world of website management, efficiency is everything.
And Framer CMS, especially with its CMS References, is taking that efficiency to a whole new level.
Not only does it make updating your site easier, but it also offers you the ability to connect collections in a way that feels intuitive and powerful. With the addition of multi-references, your website can become a living, breathing entity that’s as dynamic as you need it to be.
And the cherry on top?
Framer just upgraded its basic plan to allow two CMS collections instead of one—giving you even more bang for your buck.
So, if you’re still manually updating content on your site, it might be time to switch to Framer CMS.
Once you try it, you won’t look back.
FAQs About Framer CMS
1. What is Framer CMS?
Framer CMS is a content management system designed to help users manage website content without coding. It simplifies updating websites, blogs, product listings, and more.
2. What are CMS References in Framer?
CMS References allow you to link multiple CMS collections together, making it easier to update dynamic content like authors, agents, or categories across your website.
3. Can CMS References be used for e-commerce?
Yes! CMS References can be used to link products to categories, making it easy for users to browse products by category.
4. How do I add CMS References in Framer?
You can add CMS References by going to your main CMS collection, editing fields, and selecting either Reference or Multi-reference.
5. What’s the benefit of using CMS References?
CMS References save you time by allowing automatic updates across linked content. Instead of updating each page manually, you can update one reference, and it’ll reflect across the entire site.
