# Creating and Managing Content ### About this export | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | **content_type** | course | | **platform** | contentstack-academy | | **source_url** | https://www.contentstack.com/academy/courses/creating-and-managing-content | | **language** | en | | **product_area** | cms | | **learning_path** | cms-content-manager-certification | | **course_id** | creating-and-managing-content | | **slug** | creating-and-managing-content | | **version** | 2026-03-01 | | **last_updated** | 2026-05-04 | | **status** | published | | **keywords** | ["cms","content management","authoring"] | | **summary_one_line** | Creating and managing content is at the heart of working in Contentstack, and this course shows you how to do it with confidence. You’ll start by learning the fundamentals of entries—what they are, how to organize them, … | | **total_duration_minutes** | 21 | | **lessons_count** | 6 | | **video_lessons_count** | 6 | | **text_lessons_count** | 0 | | **linked_learning_path** | cms-content-manager-certification | | **linked_assessment_ref** | LMS_UNCONFIGURED_COURSE_ASSESSMENT | | **markdown_file_url** | /academy/md/courses/creating-and-managing-content.md | | **generated_at** | 2026-05-04T05:36:51.614Z | | **intended_audience** | [] | | **prerequisites** | [] | | **related_courses** | [] | > **Academy MD v3** — companion `.md` for Ask AI. Quizzes and graded assessments are **LMS-only**; this file never contains answer keys. ## Course Overview | Metadata | Value | | --- | --- | | Catalog duration | 20m 48s | | Released (if known) | 2026-03-01 | | Product area | cms | ### Description Creating and managing content is at the heart of working in Contentstack, and this course shows you how to do it with confidence. You’ll start by learning the fundamentals of entries—what they are, how to organize them, and how to create new ones for your site. From there, you’ll explore how to manage entries effectively, whether that means editing, copying, deleting, or importing them into your stack. You’ll also dive into the Assets module, where you’ll discover how to upload, filter, tag, and delete files, as well as how to work with metadata, file URLs, and permanent URLs to ensure reliable content delivery. Along the way, you’ll see the difference between HTML and JSON text editors, with practical examples to help you choose the right tool for your projects. By the end of this course, you’ll have the skills to confidently create, organize, and manage both entries and assets in Contentstack, ensuring your digital content is structured, reusable, and ready to publish across channels. ### Learning objectives 1. Follow each lesson in order. 2. Practice in a training stack using placeholders **YOUR_STACK_API_KEY** and **YOUR_DELIVERY_TOKEN** in local `.env` files only. 3. Validate API responses against the official documentation. ### Topics covered cms; content management; authoring ## Course structure ```text creating-and-managing-content/ ├── 01-understanding-entries · video · 245s ├── 02-creating-an-entry · video · 199s ├── 03-rich-text-editors · video · 179s ├── 04-managing-entries · video · 187s ├── 05-managing-assets · video · 264s ├── 06-understanding-asset-urls-and-metadata · video · 174s ``` ## Lessons ### Lesson 01 — Understanding Entries #### Video details #### At a glance - **Title:** Understanding Entries - **Duration:** 4m 5s - **Media link:** https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/iPGu30ZB - **Publish date (unix):** 1757637500 #### Streaming renditions - application/vnd.apple.mpegurl - audio/mp4 · AAC Audio · 113790 kbps - video/mp4 · 180p · 180p · 169085 kbps - video/mp4 · 270p · 270p · 209681 kbps - video/mp4 · 360p · 360p · 243404 kbps - video/mp4 · 406p · 406p · 270854 kbps - video/mp4 · 540p · 540p · 362329 kbps - video/mp4 · 720p · 720p · 516042 kbps - video/mp4 · 1080p · 1080p · 1009637 kbps #### Timed text tracks (delivery) - **thumbnails:** `https://cdn.jwplayer.com/strips/iPGu30ZB-120.vtt` #### Transcript Think of your content model as the blueprint and content types as the molds for each kind of thing you publish, like a destination, an article, or an author. An entry is the actual, filled-in instance of one of those molds. So if article is the mold, then Tokyo Tower is the entry. You can only create entries inside an existing content type, which keeps everything structured and consistent across your site. The entries list is where you manage all of those pieces of content. Here you'll see details like titles, status, who last updated an entry, and when. You can filter down to exactly what you need, take quick actions, and even save custom views So your workspace is ready to go each time you come back. One more concept you might hear, branches. If your stack uses them, say development vs production, entries you create or edit are specific to the branch you're in. They won't automatically appear in other branches, which makes branching great for experimenting without impacting live content. We'll go deeper into branches in other Academy content, so just keep this in mind for now. Let's jump into the entries area. If you're already inside your stack, you'll see a clean tabular view with at-a-glance details like title, language, content type, variants, so on and so forth. On the far right is an actions menu for each row. From here you can edit in Visual Builder, Preview, Copy, Publish or Unpublish, Export and Delete, giving you quick control without leaving the list. At the top you'll also find locale selection to switch languages for localized content, new entry to create content right from the list, views for fast filtering. You can modify the appearance of this entry's view. Click the gear icon in the top right. Notice you can manage columns by checking or unchecking any of the categories that you want to either see or hide from the view. I'll select Modified by to add it to my view. Additionally, you can change the row density to make it either more compact or more comfortable in its spacing. If you'd like to save this configuration as a view and return to it if you continue to modify these settings, all you have to do is click the View menu. Right now it reads Base Entries and choose Save as New View. I'll call this Matt's view. Now the row density option you selected is not part of a view, it's a separate setting that you control manually. On the left you'll see all the views. Under Popular Views you'll see things like Base Entry, Published by Me, Not Published. Select any of them to reconfigure the view. Below that you'll notice any views you have saved, in this case Matt's view. Select it to recall our custom view we saved. On the right, click the three dots to modify the view, like share it, rename it, or even delete it. In that same section of the interface towards the top, you'll notice you can toggle filters to control what gets displayed in the view. Content types, taxonomies, and variants are visible. If you select an option, in this case Article, the view is filtered to display just entries based on the article content type. You can manage what filters are available by clicking the Manage Filters button at the bottom. You now know what entries are, how they relate to content types, and how to slice, sort, and save your ideal view of the entries list. Next up, we'll create an entry together, step-by-step, compass travel style. #### Subtitles (WebVTT) ```webvtt WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:10.400 Think of your content model as the blueprint and content types as the molds for each kind 2 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:15.480 of thing you publish, like a destination, an article, or an author. 3 00:00:15.480 --> 00:00:20.200 An entry is the actual, filled-in instance of one of those molds. 4 00:00:20.200 --> 00:00:25.340 So if article is the mold, then Tokyo Tower is the entry. 5 00:00:25.340 --> 00:00:32.480 You can only create entries inside an existing content type, which keeps everything structured 6 00:00:32.480 --> 00:00:35.780 and consistent across your site. 7 00:00:35.780 --> 00:00:40.940 The entries list is where you manage all of those pieces of content. 8 00:00:40.940 --> 00:00:48.680 Here you'll see details like titles, status, who last updated an entry, and when. 9 00:00:48.680 --> 00:00:54.660 You can filter down to exactly what you need, take quick actions, and even save custom views 10 00:00:54.820 --> 00:00:58.860 So your workspace is ready to go each time you come back. 11 00:00:58.860 --> 00:01:02.140 One more concept you might hear, branches. 12 00:01:02.140 --> 00:01:08.260 If your stack uses them, say development vs production, entries you create or edit are 13 00:01:08.260 --> 00:01:10.460 specific to the branch you're in. 14 00:01:10.460 --> 00:01:14.980 They won't automatically appear in other branches, which makes branching great for 15 00:01:14.980 --> 00:01:18.540 experimenting without impacting live content. 16 00:01:19.060 --> 00:01:25.460 We'll go deeper into branches in other Academy content, so just keep this in mind for now. 17 00:01:25.460 --> 00:01:27.240 Let's jump into the entries area. 18 00:01:27.240 --> 00:01:32.340 If you're already inside your stack, you'll see a clean tabular view with at-a-glance 19 00:01:32.340 --> 00:01:38.620 details like title, language, content type, variants, so on and so forth. 20 00:01:38.620 --> 00:01:41.800 On the far right is an actions menu for each row. 21 00:01:41.800 --> 00:01:47.600 From here you can edit in Visual Builder, Preview, Copy, Publish or Unpublish, Export 22 00:01:47.600 --> 00:01:52.260 and Delete, giving you quick control without leaving the list. 23 00:01:52.260 --> 00:01:58.820 At the top you'll also find locale selection to switch languages for localized content, 24 00:01:58.820 --> 00:02:04.140 new entry to create content right from the list, views for fast filtering. 25 00:02:04.140 --> 00:02:07.260 You can modify the appearance of this entry's view. 26 00:02:07.260 --> 00:02:10.180 Click the gear icon in the top right. 27 00:02:10.180 --> 00:02:14.960 Notice you can manage columns by checking or unchecking any of the categories that you 28 00:02:14.980 --> 00:02:19.100 want to either see or hide from the view. 29 00:02:19.100 --> 00:02:23.180 I'll select Modified by to add it to my view. 30 00:02:23.180 --> 00:02:29.620 Additionally, you can change the row density to make it either more compact or more comfortable 31 00:02:29.620 --> 00:02:31.300 in its spacing. 32 00:02:31.300 --> 00:02:36.420 If you'd like to save this configuration as a view and return to it if you continue 33 00:02:36.420 --> 00:02:41.860 to modify these settings, all you have to do is click the View menu. 34 00:02:41.860 --> 00:02:47.760 Right now it reads Base Entries and choose Save as New View. 35 00:02:47.760 --> 00:02:49.680 I'll call this Matt's view. 36 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:54.900 Now the row density option you selected is not part of a view, it's a separate setting 37 00:02:54.900 --> 00:02:57.960 that you control manually. 38 00:02:57.960 --> 00:03:00.880 On the left you'll see all the views. 39 00:03:00.880 --> 00:03:07.480 Under Popular Views you'll see things like Base Entry, Published by Me, Not Published. 40 00:03:07.480 --> 00:03:10.120 Select any of them to reconfigure the view. 41 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:16.280 Below that you'll notice any views you have saved, in this case Matt's view. 42 00:03:16.280 --> 00:03:19.920 Select it to recall our custom view we saved. 43 00:03:19.920 --> 00:03:25.180 On the right, click the three dots to modify the view, like share it, rename it, or even 44 00:03:25.180 --> 00:03:26.280 delete it. 45 00:03:26.280 --> 00:03:31.520 In that same section of the interface towards the top, you'll notice you can toggle filters 46 00:03:31.520 --> 00:03:35.000 to control what gets displayed in the view. 47 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:38.900 Content types, taxonomies, and variants are visible. 48 00:03:38.900 --> 00:03:44.940 If you select an option, in this case Article, the view is filtered to display just entries 49 00:03:44.940 --> 00:03:47.820 based on the article content type. 50 00:03:47.820 --> 00:03:53.060 You can manage what filters are available by clicking the Manage Filters button at the 51 00:03:53.060 --> 00:03:54.220 bottom. 52 00:03:54.220 --> 00:04:00.980 You now know what entries are, how they relate to content types, and how to slice, sort, 53 00:04:00.980 --> 00:04:05.220 and save your ideal view of the entries list. 54 00:04:05.220 --> 00:04:10.540 Next up, we'll create an entry together, step-by-step, compass travel style. ``` ```transcript [00:00] Think of your content model as the blueprint and content types as the molds for each kind [00:10] of thing you publish, like a destination, an article, or an author. [00:15] An entry is the actual, filled-in instance of one of those molds. [00:20] So if article is the mold, then Tokyo Tower is the entry. [00:25] You can only create entries inside an existing content type, which keeps everything structured [00:32] and consistent across your site. [00:35] The entries list is where you manage all of those pieces of content. [00:40] Here you'll see details like titles, status, who last updated an entry, and when. [00:48] You can filter down to exactly what you need, take quick actions, and even save custom views [00:54] So your workspace is ready to go each time you come back. [00:58] One more concept you might hear, branches. [01:02] If your stack uses them, say development vs production, entries you create or edit are [01:08] specific to the branch you're in. [01:10] They won't automatically appear in other branches, which makes branching great for [01:14] experimenting without impacting live content. [01:19] We'll go deeper into branches in other Academy content, so just keep this in mind for now. [01:25] Let's jump into the entries area. [01:27] If you're already inside your stack, you'll see a clean tabular view with at-a-glance [01:32] details like title, language, content type, variants, so on and so forth. [01:38] On the far right is an actions menu for each row. [01:41] From here you can edit in Visual Builder, Preview, Copy, Publish or Unpublish, Export [01:47] and Delete, giving you quick control without leaving the list. [01:52] At the top you'll also find locale selection to switch languages for localized content, [01:58] new entry to create content right from the list, views for fast filtering. [02:04] You can modify the appearance of this entry's view. [02:07] Click the gear icon in the top right. [02:10] Notice you can manage columns by checking or unchecking any of the categories that you [02:14] want to either see or hide from the view. [02:19] I'll select Modified by to add it to my view. [02:23] Additionally, you can change the row density to make it either more compact or more comfortable [02:29] in its spacing. [02:31] If you'd like to save this configuration as a view and return to it if you continue [02:36] to modify these settings, all you have to do is click the View menu. [02:41] Right now it reads Base Entries and choose Save as New View. [02:47] I'll call this Matt's view. [02:49] Now the row density option you selected is not part of a view, it's a separate setting [02:54] that you control manually. [02:57] On the left you'll see all the views. [03:00] Under Popular Views you'll see things like Base Entry, Published by Me, Not Published. [03:07] Select any of them to reconfigure the view. [03:10] Below that you'll notice any views you have saved, in this case Matt's view. [03:16] Select it to recall our custom view we saved. [03:19] On the right, click the three dots to modify the view, like share it, rename it, or even [03:25] delete it. [03:26] In that same section of the interface towards the top, you'll notice you can toggle filters [03:31] to control what gets displayed in the view. [03:35] Content types, taxonomies, and variants are visible. [03:38] If you select an option, in this case Article, the view is filtered to display just entries [03:44] based on the article content type. [03:47] You can manage what filters are available by clicking the Manage Filters button at the [03:53] bottom. [03:54] You now know what entries are, how they relate to content types, and how to slice, sort, [04:00] and save your ideal view of the entries list. [04:05] Next up, we'll create an entry together, step-by-step, compass travel style. ``` #### Key takeaways - Connect **Understanding Entries** back to your stack configuration before moving to the next module. - Capture one concrete artifact (screenshot, Postman call, or code snippet) that proves the step works in your environment. - Re-read the delivery versus management boundary for anything you changed in the entry model. ### Lesson 02 — Creating an Entry #### Video details #### At a glance - **Title:** Creating an Entry - **Duration:** 3m 19s - **Media link:** https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/yzWx2X5g - **Publish date (unix):** 1757639142 #### Streaming renditions - application/vnd.apple.mpegurl - audio/mp4 · AAC Audio · 113528 kbps - video/mp4 · 180p · 180p · 151933 kbps - video/mp4 · 270p · 270p · 173001 kbps - video/mp4 · 360p · 360p · 192725 kbps - video/mp4 · 406p · 406p · 211132 kbps - video/mp4 · 540p · 540p · 256600 kbps - video/mp4 · 720p · 720p · 343531 kbps - video/mp4 · 1080p · 1080p · 579515 kbps #### Timed text tracks (delivery) - **thumbnails:** `https://cdn.jwplayer.com/strips/yzWx2X5g-120.vtt` #### Transcript Before we jump into creating our article entry, let's take a quick look at the article content type. Remember, the content type is the mold. It defines which fields are available and how they're organized. Here you'll see spots for things like the title, summary, cover image, taxonomy, which is how the content is categorized on the site, related links, related articles, and SEO settings. I have an entry based on this article content type already open in the browser. Notice all of these elements we looked at in the content type. We have a title, an image, a summary, and the content. We also have related links and articles below. Knowing the structure up front helps you understand why we'll be filling out these particular fields in just a moment. Now let's go ahead and create the entry. In the entry section, click the New Entry button. In the Select Content Type dialog, choose Article. Think of this as filling out a form. Each field is a box waiting for information, and together they make up a complete piece of content. For the title, let's use Mexico City, Exploring the History and Energy of the Socolow. As soon as we add the title, you'll notice Content Stack automatically generates a URL. You can change it if needed, but for now we'll leave it as is. Next, we'll add a cover image. We can either select an image already in Assets or upload a new one. Let's upload a new file from our computer. When we do that, we need to choose where the image will live. In this case, we'll select Hero Banner. By uploading this image, we'll give the article a strong visual at the top of the page, just like the Tokyo Tower article we previewed earlier. For the summary, we'll use the AI Assistant to save time. Just click the AI icon, choose Brainstorm with AI Assistant, and type in something like, give me a one-line summary of the best things to do in Mexico City. The AI generates a nice starting point, and we can always refine it if need be. Scrolling down, we'll set up our taxonomy, region as North America, and topic as must-see spots. In the main content text field, I'll just paste in some copy from the clipboard to move quickly. Then we'll add related links and related articles, setting the number of articles to show as three. To finish things up, we'll fill out the SEO fields, title, description, and a few tags. Then we'll click Save. Finally, let's render this page in Live Preview, which is a feature we'll review in greater detail later, but it will allow us to see how our Mexico City article will look once it's published. Looks good! #### Subtitles (WebVTT) ```webvtt WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.400 Before we jump into creating our article entry, let's take a quick look at the article content type. 2 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:13.520 Remember, the content type is the mold. It defines which fields are available and how 3 00:00:13.520 --> 00:00:20.000 they're organized. Here you'll see spots for things like the title, summary, cover image, 4 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:26.640 taxonomy, which is how the content is categorized on the site, related links, related articles, 5 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:33.680 and SEO settings. I have an entry based on this article content type already open in the browser. 6 00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:39.840 Notice all of these elements we looked at in the content type. We have a title, an image, 7 00:00:39.840 --> 00:00:47.280 a summary, and the content. We also have related links and articles below. Knowing the structure 8 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:53.120 up front helps you understand why we'll be filling out these particular fields in just a moment. 9 00:00:53.680 --> 00:01:00.000 Now let's go ahead and create the entry. In the entry section, click the New Entry button. 10 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:07.520 In the Select Content Type dialog, choose Article. Think of this as filling out a form. Each field 11 00:01:07.520 --> 00:01:13.440 is a box waiting for information, and together they make up a complete piece of content. 12 00:01:14.800 --> 00:01:21.760 For the title, let's use Mexico City, Exploring the History and Energy of the Socolow. As soon as 13 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:27.760 we add the title, you'll notice Content Stack automatically generates a URL. You can change it 14 00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:35.120 if needed, but for now we'll leave it as is. Next, we'll add a cover image. We can either select an 15 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:43.120 image already in Assets or upload a new one. Let's upload a new file from our computer. When we do 16 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:50.240 that, we need to choose where the image will live. In this case, we'll select Hero Banner. By 17 00:01:50.240 --> 00:01:56.000 uploading this image, we'll give the article a strong visual at the top of the page, just like 18 00:01:56.000 --> 00:02:03.600 the Tokyo Tower article we previewed earlier. For the summary, we'll use the AI Assistant to save 19 00:02:03.600 --> 00:02:10.400 time. Just click the AI icon, choose Brainstorm with AI Assistant, and type in something like, 20 00:02:11.040 --> 00:02:17.920 give me a one-line summary of the best things to do in Mexico City. The AI generates a nice 21 00:02:17.920 --> 00:02:24.880 starting point, and we can always refine it if need be. Scrolling down, we'll set up our taxonomy, 22 00:02:27.200 --> 00:02:29.040 region as North America, 23 00:02:31.600 --> 00:02:38.240 and topic as must-see spots. In the main content text field, I'll just paste in some copy from the 24 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:45.280 clipboard to move quickly. Then we'll add related links and related articles, setting the number of 25 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:52.080 articles to show as three. To finish things up, we'll fill out the SEO fields, title, description, 26 00:02:54.160 --> 00:03:04.400 and a few tags. Then we'll click Save. Finally, let's render this page in Live Preview, which is a 27 00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:10.640 feature we'll review in greater detail later, but it will allow us to see how our Mexico City article 28 00:03:10.640 --> 00:03:15.360 will look once it's published. Looks good! ``` ```transcript [00:00] Before we jump into creating our article entry, let's take a quick look at the article content type. [00:07] Remember, the content type is the mold. It defines which fields are available and how [00:13] they're organized. Here you'll see spots for things like the title, summary, cover image, [00:20] taxonomy, which is how the content is categorized on the site, related links, related articles, [00:26] and SEO settings. I have an entry based on this article content type already open in the browser. [00:34] Notice all of these elements we looked at in the content type. We have a title, an image, [00:39] a summary, and the content. We also have related links and articles below. Knowing the structure [00:47] up front helps you understand why we'll be filling out these particular fields in just a moment. [00:53] Now let's go ahead and create the entry. In the entry section, click the New Entry button. [01:00] In the Select Content Type dialog, choose Article. Think of this as filling out a form. Each field [01:07] is a box waiting for information, and together they make up a complete piece of content. [01:14] For the title, let's use Mexico City, Exploring the History and Energy of the Socolow. As soon as [01:21] we add the title, you'll notice Content Stack automatically generates a URL. You can change it [01:27] if needed, but for now we'll leave it as is. Next, we'll add a cover image. We can either select an [01:35] image already in Assets or upload a new one. Let's upload a new file from our computer. When we do [01:43] that, we need to choose where the image will live. In this case, we'll select Hero Banner. By [01:50] uploading this image, we'll give the article a strong visual at the top of the page, just like [01:56] the Tokyo Tower article we previewed earlier. For the summary, we'll use the AI Assistant to save [02:03] time. Just click the AI icon, choose Brainstorm with AI Assistant, and type in something like, [02:11] give me a one-line summary of the best things to do in Mexico City. The AI generates a nice [02:17] starting point, and we can always refine it if need be. Scrolling down, we'll set up our taxonomy, [02:27] region as North America, [02:31] and topic as must-see spots. In the main content text field, I'll just paste in some copy from the [02:38] clipboard to move quickly. Then we'll add related links and related articles, setting the number of [02:45] articles to show as three. To finish things up, we'll fill out the SEO fields, title, description, [02:54] and a few tags. Then we'll click Save. Finally, let's render this page in Live Preview, which is a [03:04] feature we'll review in greater detail later, but it will allow us to see how our Mexico City article [03:10] will look once it's published. Looks good! ``` #### Key takeaways - Connect **Creating an Entry** back to your stack configuration before moving to the next module. - Capture one concrete artifact (screenshot, Postman call, or code snippet) that proves the step works in your environment. - Re-read the delivery versus management boundary for anything you changed in the entry model. ### Lesson 03 — Rich Text Editors #### Video details #### At a glance - **Title:** Rich Text Editors - **Duration:** 2m 59s - **Media link:** https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/TQW4P84x - **Publish date (unix):** 1757641341 #### Streaming renditions - application/vnd.apple.mpegurl - audio/mp4 · AAC Audio · 113668 kbps - video/mp4 · 180p · 180p · 169718 kbps - video/mp4 · 270p · 270p · 210363 kbps - video/mp4 · 360p · 360p · 249356 kbps - video/mp4 · 406p · 406p · 280803 kbps - video/mp4 · 540p · 540p · 379982 kbps - video/mp4 · 720p · 720p · 557784 kbps - video/mp4 · 1080p · 1080p · 1116231 kbps #### Timed text tracks (delivery) - **thumbnails:** `https://cdn.jwplayer.com/strips/TQW4P84x-120.vtt` #### Transcript When you create content in ContentStack, you'll often be typing into a text editor, but not all editors are the same. Some content models are set up with traditional HTML editors, while others use a JSON-rich text editor. Let's use our Mexico City example to see the difference, why it matters, and how they differ. In our Compass travel site, the Mexico City entry is using the HTML editor. You can see I pasted in our content about the attraction. Notice there are paragraphs, headings, and rich formatting. This editor looks familiar to anyone who's written a blog post. You can style text, add links, insert images, and even switch into source view to hand-edit the HTML. The HTML editor is quick and easy, but what you're really storing here is raw markup, the exact formatting instructions for the browser. That makes it great for websites, but less flexible if you want the same content to power a mobile app or a voice assistant. Now let's contrast that with a JSON-rich text editor. At first glance, it feels similar. You can still add paragraphs, headings, lists, and media. But behind the scenes, instead of raw HTML, it's storing your content as structured JSON. Here's the exact content, written once in HTML and once in JSON. Look how different they look under the hood. With HTML, you're storing how the content should look. With JSON, you're storing what the content is, in a way that developers can render consistently across any channel. The HTML editor is the best if your team is focused on a traditional website. Authors get full control, it's quick to format, and no developer support is needed. The trade-off is that the content isn't as reusable. The JSON-rich text editor is the opposite. It's structured, portable, and ready for omnichannel publishing, web, mobile, APIs, even kiosks or voice apps. But it does rely on developer effort to render it properly, and authors might feel it's a little less freeform. Text editors may look simple, but the choice between HTML and JSON determines how flexible and future-proof your content will be. HTML is fast and familiar, perfect for a website. JSON-rich text is structured and scalable, ideal for content that needs to travel across multiple channels. Knowing which one was set up in the content type ensures your content doesn't just look good today, it works wherever you need it tomorrow. #### Subtitles (WebVTT) ```webvtt WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.660 When you create content in ContentStack, you'll often be typing into a text editor, but not 2 00:00:06.660 --> 00:00:09.100 all editors are the same. 3 00:00:09.100 --> 00:00:16.420 Some content models are set up with traditional HTML editors, while others use a JSON-rich 4 00:00:16.420 --> 00:00:17.420 text editor. 5 00:00:17.420 --> 00:00:22.740 Let's use our Mexico City example to see the difference, why it matters, and how they 6 00:00:22.740 --> 00:00:23.960 differ. 7 00:00:23.960 --> 00:00:29.380 In our Compass travel site, the Mexico City entry is using the HTML editor. 8 00:00:29.380 --> 00:00:34.500 You can see I pasted in our content about the attraction. 9 00:00:34.500 --> 00:00:39.580 Notice there are paragraphs, headings, and rich formatting. 10 00:00:39.580 --> 00:00:43.660 This editor looks familiar to anyone who's written a blog post. 11 00:00:43.660 --> 00:00:50.420 You can style text, add links, insert images, and even switch into source view to hand-edit 12 00:00:50.420 --> 00:00:52.300 the HTML. 13 00:00:52.300 --> 00:00:58.420 The HTML editor is quick and easy, but what you're really storing here is raw markup, 14 00:00:58.420 --> 00:01:01.920 the exact formatting instructions for the browser. 15 00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:07.260 That makes it great for websites, but less flexible if you want the same content to power 16 00:01:07.260 --> 00:01:10.500 a mobile app or a voice assistant. 17 00:01:10.500 --> 00:01:14.720 Now let's contrast that with a JSON-rich text editor. 18 00:01:14.720 --> 00:01:17.260 At first glance, it feels similar. 19 00:01:17.260 --> 00:01:21.460 You can still add paragraphs, headings, lists, and media. 20 00:01:21.460 --> 00:01:26.620 But behind the scenes, instead of raw HTML, it's storing your content as structured 21 00:01:26.620 --> 00:01:27.620 JSON. 22 00:01:27.620 --> 00:01:34.580 Here's the exact content, written once in HTML and once in JSON. 23 00:01:34.580 --> 00:01:37.660 Look how different they look under the hood. 24 00:01:37.660 --> 00:01:41.700 With HTML, you're storing how the content should look. 25 00:01:41.700 --> 00:01:48.260 With JSON, you're storing what the content is, in a way that developers can render consistently 26 00:01:48.260 --> 00:01:50.600 across any channel. 27 00:01:50.600 --> 00:01:56.360 The HTML editor is the best if your team is focused on a traditional website. 28 00:01:56.360 --> 00:02:02.060 Authors get full control, it's quick to format, and no developer support is needed. 29 00:02:02.060 --> 00:02:06.160 The trade-off is that the content isn't as reusable. 30 00:02:06.160 --> 00:02:09.240 The JSON-rich text editor is the opposite. 31 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:15.820 It's structured, portable, and ready for omnichannel publishing, web, mobile, APIs, even kiosks 32 00:02:15.820 --> 00:02:17.720 or voice apps. 33 00:02:17.720 --> 00:02:23.720 But it does rely on developer effort to render it properly, and authors might feel it's 34 00:02:23.720 --> 00:02:26.160 a little less freeform. 35 00:02:26.160 --> 00:02:32.800 Text editors may look simple, but the choice between HTML and JSON determines how flexible 36 00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:35.640 and future-proof your content will be. 37 00:02:35.640 --> 00:02:41.120 HTML is fast and familiar, perfect for a website. 38 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:46.680 JSON-rich text is structured and scalable, ideal for content that needs to travel across 39 00:02:46.680 --> 00:02:48.720 multiple channels. 40 00:02:48.720 --> 00:02:54.640 Knowing which one was set up in the content type ensures your content doesn't just look 41 00:02:54.640 --> 00:02:58.720 good today, it works wherever you need it tomorrow. ``` ```transcript [00:00] When you create content in ContentStack, you'll often be typing into a text editor, but not [00:06] all editors are the same. [00:09] Some content models are set up with traditional HTML editors, while others use a JSON-rich [00:16] text editor. [00:17] Let's use our Mexico City example to see the difference, why it matters, and how they [00:22] differ. [00:23] In our Compass travel site, the Mexico City entry is using the HTML editor. [00:29] You can see I pasted in our content about the attraction. [00:34] Notice there are paragraphs, headings, and rich formatting. [00:39] This editor looks familiar to anyone who's written a blog post. [00:43] You can style text, add links, insert images, and even switch into source view to hand-edit [00:50] the HTML. [00:52] The HTML editor is quick and easy, but what you're really storing here is raw markup, [00:58] the exact formatting instructions for the browser. [01:01] That makes it great for websites, but less flexible if you want the same content to power [01:07] a mobile app or a voice assistant. [01:10] Now let's contrast that with a JSON-rich text editor. [01:14] At first glance, it feels similar. [01:17] You can still add paragraphs, headings, lists, and media. [01:21] But behind the scenes, instead of raw HTML, it's storing your content as structured [01:26] JSON. [01:27] Here's the exact content, written once in HTML and once in JSON. [01:34] Look how different they look under the hood. [01:37] With HTML, you're storing how the content should look. [01:41] With JSON, you're storing what the content is, in a way that developers can render consistently [01:48] across any channel. [01:50] The HTML editor is the best if your team is focused on a traditional website. [01:56] Authors get full control, it's quick to format, and no developer support is needed. [02:02] The trade-off is that the content isn't as reusable. [02:06] The JSON-rich text editor is the opposite. [02:09] It's structured, portable, and ready for omnichannel publishing, web, mobile, APIs, even kiosks [02:15] or voice apps. [02:17] But it does rely on developer effort to render it properly, and authors might feel it's [02:23] a little less freeform. [02:26] Text editors may look simple, but the choice between HTML and JSON determines how flexible [02:32] and future-proof your content will be. [02:35] HTML is fast and familiar, perfect for a website. [02:41] JSON-rich text is structured and scalable, ideal for content that needs to travel across [02:46] multiple channels. [02:48] Knowing which one was set up in the content type ensures your content doesn't just look [02:54] good today, it works wherever you need it tomorrow. ``` #### Key takeaways - Connect **Rich Text Editors** back to your stack configuration before moving to the next module. - Capture one concrete artifact (screenshot, Postman call, or code snippet) that proves the step works in your environment. - Re-read the delivery versus management boundary for anything you changed in the entry model. ### Lesson 04 — Managing Entries #### Video details #### At a glance - **Title:** Managing Entries - **Duration:** 3m 7s - **Media link:** https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/WVH2rahw - **Publish date (unix):** 1757639211 #### Streaming renditions - application/vnd.apple.mpegurl - audio/mp4 · AAC Audio · 113958 kbps - video/mp4 · 180p · 180p · 146903 kbps - video/mp4 · 270p · 270p · 164118 kbps - video/mp4 · 360p · 360p · 181613 kbps - video/mp4 · 406p · 406p · 194038 kbps - video/mp4 · 540p · 540p · 230225 kbps - video/mp4 · 720p · 720p · 291611 kbps - video/mp4 · 1080p · 1080p · 414983 kbps #### Timed text tracks (delivery) - **thumbnails:** `https://cdn.jwplayer.com/strips/WVH2rahw-120.vtt` #### Transcript Let's now look at how to update existing content, duplicate entries to save time, remove outdated ones, and bring in fresh content without starting from scratch. To edit an entry, find one in your entries list. You can use filters or views if needed. We'll work with the same Mexico City entry we created in a previous video. Open the Actions menu by clicking the vertical ellipsis for the entry. From the drop-down, select Edit to open the editor. Alternatively, choose Edit in Visual Builder for a WYSIWYG experience, perfect for tweaking layout or design elements directly. In the editor, you can make any updates, maybe adjust the title, tweak the body text, swap an image, or update tags. Here, we'll modify the content a bit. We want it to have a friendlier tone, so with the AI Assistant, we can choose Change Tone and then select Friendly, and the Assistant will work its magic. Anytime you make a change, make sure you save your changes. Optionally, use Preview to confirm the edits look right. Okay, let's move on and talk about copying entries. Copying an entry can be a great way to create another new entry without starting from scratch, especially if you can reuse elements from a previous entry. Like in our Mexico City example, maybe we can reuse parts of the Content Text field, the SEO info, and even things like the Related Links and Entries section. To make a copy, find the entry in the Entries list and press the Actions menu next to an entry. Select Copy, and you'll see Content Stack duplicates the entry, preserving field values, tags, references, all of it. It will prefix the title with Copy Of. Here, you can retitle the entry and adjust necessary fields. And when you're happy with the changes, click Save. Now, in the real world, we don't need this copy we just made of our Mexico City article, so let's clean that up so our list stays tidy. Back in the Entries list, find the copy you created. Click the Actions menu, again the three dots next to that entry, and choose Delete. You'll get a confirmation prompt. This is there to prevent accidents. Click Delete again to confirm. The entry disappears from the list. If you don't see the change right away, give the page a quick refresh or make sure a filter isn't hiding it. And that's it. You've seen how to edit content with a little help from the AI Assistant. Copy an entry to speed up your work and safely delete what you no longer need. Managing entries really comes down to these everyday actions, and once you've done them a couple of times, they'll feel second nature. #### Subtitles (WebVTT) ```webvtt WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.000 Let's now look at how to update existing content, duplicate entries to save time, 2 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:11.600 remove outdated ones, and bring in fresh content without starting from scratch. 3 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:19.280 To edit an entry, find one in your entries list. You can use filters or views if needed. 4 00:00:19.280 --> 00:00:23.760 We'll work with the same Mexico City entry we created in a previous video. 5 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:28.720 Open the Actions menu by clicking the vertical ellipsis for the entry. 6 00:00:28.720 --> 00:00:34.800 From the drop-down, select Edit to open the editor. Alternatively, choose Edit in Visual 7 00:00:34.800 --> 00:00:41.200 Builder for a WYSIWYG experience, perfect for tweaking layout or design elements directly. 8 00:00:41.760 --> 00:00:47.680 In the editor, you can make any updates, maybe adjust the title, tweak the body text, 9 00:00:47.680 --> 00:00:53.520 swap an image, or update tags. Here, we'll modify the content a bit. 10 00:00:53.520 --> 00:01:00.080 We want it to have a friendlier tone, so with the AI Assistant, we can choose Change Tone 11 00:01:00.080 --> 00:01:03.920 and then select Friendly, and the Assistant will work its magic. 12 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:09.120 Anytime you make a change, make sure you save your changes. 13 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:13.840 Optionally, use Preview to confirm the edits look right. 14 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:20.160 Okay, let's move on and talk about copying entries. Copying an entry can be a great way 15 00:01:20.160 --> 00:01:26.960 to create another new entry without starting from scratch, especially if you can reuse elements 16 00:01:26.960 --> 00:01:33.760 from a previous entry. Like in our Mexico City example, maybe we can reuse parts of the Content 17 00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:39.600 Text field, the SEO info, and even things like the Related Links and Entries section. 18 00:01:40.240 --> 00:01:47.200 To make a copy, find the entry in the Entries list and press the Actions menu next to an entry. 19 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:53.040 Select Copy, and you'll see Content Stack duplicates the entry, preserving field values, 20 00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:58.800 tags, references, all of it. It will prefix the title with Copy Of. 21 00:01:59.600 --> 00:02:03.920 Here, you can retitle the entry and adjust necessary fields. 22 00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:07.760 And when you're happy with the changes, click Save. 23 00:02:08.320 --> 00:02:14.640 Now, in the real world, we don't need this copy we just made of our Mexico City article, 24 00:02:14.640 --> 00:02:17.680 so let's clean that up so our list stays tidy. 25 00:02:18.320 --> 00:02:22.480 Back in the Entries list, find the copy you created. 26 00:02:22.480 --> 00:02:27.920 Click the Actions menu, again the three dots next to that entry, and choose Delete. 27 00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:33.200 You'll get a confirmation prompt. This is there to prevent accidents. 28 00:02:33.200 --> 00:02:37.760 Click Delete again to confirm. The entry disappears from the list. 29 00:02:37.760 --> 00:02:42.640 If you don't see the change right away, give the page a quick refresh or 30 00:02:42.640 --> 00:02:45.280 make sure a filter isn't hiding it. 31 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:51.360 And that's it. You've seen how to edit content with a little help from the AI Assistant. 32 00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:56.800 Copy an entry to speed up your work and safely delete what you no longer need. 33 00:02:57.440 --> 00:03:01.680 Managing entries really comes down to these everyday actions, 34 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:06.160 and once you've done them a couple of times, they'll feel second nature. ``` ```transcript [00:00] Let's now look at how to update existing content, duplicate entries to save time, [00:06] remove outdated ones, and bring in fresh content without starting from scratch. [00:12] To edit an entry, find one in your entries list. You can use filters or views if needed. [00:19] We'll work with the same Mexico City entry we created in a previous video. [00:23] Open the Actions menu by clicking the vertical ellipsis for the entry. [00:28] From the drop-down, select Edit to open the editor. Alternatively, choose Edit in Visual [00:34] Builder for a WYSIWYG experience, perfect for tweaking layout or design elements directly. [00:41] In the editor, you can make any updates, maybe adjust the title, tweak the body text, [00:47] swap an image, or update tags. Here, we'll modify the content a bit. [00:53] We want it to have a friendlier tone, so with the AI Assistant, we can choose Change Tone [01:00] and then select Friendly, and the Assistant will work its magic. [01:04] Anytime you make a change, make sure you save your changes. [01:09] Optionally, use Preview to confirm the edits look right. [01:14] Okay, let's move on and talk about copying entries. Copying an entry can be a great way [01:20] to create another new entry without starting from scratch, especially if you can reuse elements [01:26] from a previous entry. Like in our Mexico City example, maybe we can reuse parts of the Content [01:33] Text field, the SEO info, and even things like the Related Links and Entries section. [01:40] To make a copy, find the entry in the Entries list and press the Actions menu next to an entry. [01:47] Select Copy, and you'll see Content Stack duplicates the entry, preserving field values, [01:53] tags, references, all of it. It will prefix the title with Copy Of. [01:59] Here, you can retitle the entry and adjust necessary fields. [02:04] And when you're happy with the changes, click Save. [02:08] Now, in the real world, we don't need this copy we just made of our Mexico City article, [02:14] so let's clean that up so our list stays tidy. [02:18] Back in the Entries list, find the copy you created. [02:22] Click the Actions menu, again the three dots next to that entry, and choose Delete. [02:28] You'll get a confirmation prompt. This is there to prevent accidents. [02:33] Click Delete again to confirm. The entry disappears from the list. [02:37] If you don't see the change right away, give the page a quick refresh or [02:42] make sure a filter isn't hiding it. [02:45] And that's it. You've seen how to edit content with a little help from the AI Assistant. [02:51] Copy an entry to speed up your work and safely delete what you no longer need. [02:57] Managing entries really comes down to these everyday actions, [03:01] and once you've done them a couple of times, they'll feel second nature. ``` #### Key takeaways - Connect **Managing Entries** back to your stack configuration before moving to the next module. - Capture one concrete artifact (screenshot, Postman call, or code snippet) that proves the step works in your environment. - Re-read the delivery versus management boundary for anything you changed in the entry model. ### Lesson 05 — Managing Assets #### Video details #### At a glance - **Title:** Managing Assets - **Duration:** 4m 24s - **Media link:** https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/bSYHK7UA - **Publish date (unix):** 1757641338 #### Streaming renditions - application/vnd.apple.mpegurl - audio/mp4 · AAC Audio · 113718 kbps - video/mp4 · 180p · 180p · 151182 kbps - video/mp4 · 270p · 270p · 176150 kbps - video/mp4 · 360p · 360p · 197997 kbps - video/mp4 · 406p · 406p · 213690 kbps - video/mp4 · 540p · 540p · 267153 kbps - video/mp4 · 720p · 720p · 351407 kbps - video/mp4 · 1080p · 1080p · 593736 kbps #### Timed text tracks (delivery) - **thumbnails:** `https://cdn.jwplayer.com/strips/bSYHK7UA-120.vtt` #### Transcript In this lesson, we're going to take a closer look at how to manage your visual assets. Think of this as everything that isn't plain text, your images, videos, PDFs, even audio files. By the end, you'll know how to upload, organize, and filter through them, and also how to safely clean things up when you don't need a file anymore. So first, let's talk about what the assets repository actually is. Think of it as your media library. This is where all your reusable files live. Anytime you upload an image or a video, it's stored here, so you can pull it into multiple entries without having to re-upload it each time. One thing to keep in mind, assets are branch specific. That means if you're working in development, the assets you upload there won't automatically appear in production. It's a way to safely test things without cluttering your live environment. Alright, let's upload something. From your stack, click the assets icon, or if you like shortcuts, just hit the A key. Here's the easiest way. Drag a file right into the assets area. You'll see it start uploading immediately. Or, if you'd rather, click plus new asset and then choose your file. Remember, you can bring in up to 10 files at a time, and each file can be up to 700 megabytes. Now, to keep things organized, you can set up folders. Let's say we want a folder called hero images. Ignore that we have one called hero banners. This is just a demo. Create that first by clicking the new asset folder icon and typing in the name hero images. Once it's created, drop your images into it. It's just like organizing files on your computer. Folders help keep your library clean, especially as it grows. Once an asset is uploaded, click into it and you'll see all the details. Title, description, tags you can add. I'll type in homepage because that's where this image is used. Plus, file specific info like type, size, and resolution. There's even a referenced in section that shows you which entries are using this asset. Super handy when you're trying to track things down. Now, let's say your library is getting a little crowded. That's where filters come in. Return to the main assets area and over on the left, click filters. You can narrow down by folder, file type, who uploaded it, when it was last updated, or even by tags. For example, if I only want to see hero images that are tagged homepage, I can filter for that. Down below, I can choose manage filters and turn on tags. Then I can either type to narrow down the tag list, but in this case, I can just select the tag I want to filter by. The results pop right up and the filters I've applied appear at the top as little pills I can clear out anytime. It makes finding exactly what you need really fast. Alright, let's talk about cleanup. Maybe we uploaded the wrong image or an outdated promo video. To delete an asset, just open the actions menu next to it and choose delete. Now here's the nice part. ContentStack doesn't just wipe it away instantly. Deleted assets go into trash where they'll sit for 14 days. So if you make a mistake, you can always restore it. After that 14-day window, they're gone for good. To access the trash, click in the top menu bar as long as you're in the CMS. Then choose trash on the left side. And that's it. You now know how to get assets into ContentStack, keep them organized, quickly track them down, and safely remove the ones you no longer need. With this foundation, you'll spend less time hunting for files and more time creating content. #### Subtitles (WebVTT) ```webvtt WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.120 In this lesson, we're going to take a closer look at how to manage your visual assets. 2 00:00:05.760 --> 00:00:14.320 Think of this as everything that isn't plain text, your images, videos, PDFs, even audio files. 3 00:00:14.960 --> 00:00:19.280 By the end, you'll know how to upload, organize, and filter through them, 4 00:00:19.280 --> 00:00:24.080 and also how to safely clean things up when you don't need a file anymore. 5 00:00:24.720 --> 00:00:29.680 So first, let's talk about what the assets repository actually is. 6 00:00:30.240 --> 00:00:33.120 Think of it as your media library. 7 00:00:33.120 --> 00:00:36.080 This is where all your reusable files live. 8 00:00:36.080 --> 00:00:40.160 Anytime you upload an image or a video, it's stored here, 9 00:00:40.160 --> 00:00:45.760 so you can pull it into multiple entries without having to re-upload it each time. 10 00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:50.800 One thing to keep in mind, assets are branch specific. 11 00:00:50.800 --> 00:00:53.600 That means if you're working in development, 12 00:00:53.600 --> 00:00:58.640 the assets you upload there won't automatically appear in production. 13 00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:03.120 It's a way to safely test things without cluttering your live environment. 14 00:01:03.840 --> 00:01:05.840 Alright, let's upload something. 15 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:12.720 From your stack, click the assets icon, or if you like shortcuts, just hit the A key. 16 00:01:12.720 --> 00:01:14.160 Here's the easiest way. 17 00:01:14.160 --> 00:01:19.760 Drag a file right into the assets area. You'll see it start uploading immediately. 18 00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:25.760 Or, if you'd rather, click plus new asset and then choose your file. 19 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:33.680 Remember, you can bring in up to 10 files at a time, and each file can be up to 700 megabytes. 20 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:37.360 Now, to keep things organized, you can set up folders. 21 00:01:37.360 --> 00:01:40.640 Let's say we want a folder called hero images. 22 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:44.080 Ignore that we have one called hero banners. 23 00:01:44.800 --> 00:01:46.400 This is just a demo. 24 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:54.160 Create that first by clicking the new asset folder icon and typing in the name hero images. 25 00:01:54.800 --> 00:01:57.360 Once it's created, drop your images into it. 26 00:01:57.360 --> 00:02:01.120 It's just like organizing files on your computer. 27 00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:06.320 Folders help keep your library clean, especially as it grows. 28 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:12.000 Once an asset is uploaded, click into it and you'll see all the details. 29 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:15.600 Title, description, tags you can add. 30 00:02:15.600 --> 00:02:20.240 I'll type in homepage because that's where this image is used. 31 00:02:20.240 --> 00:02:25.280 Plus, file specific info like type, size, and resolution. 32 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:31.600 There's even a referenced in section that shows you which entries are using this asset. 33 00:02:31.600 --> 00:02:34.080 Super handy when you're trying to track things down. 34 00:02:34.720 --> 00:02:38.160 Now, let's say your library is getting a little crowded. 35 00:02:38.160 --> 00:02:40.080 That's where filters come in. 36 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:45.120 Return to the main assets area and over on the left, click filters. 37 00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:53.200 You can narrow down by folder, file type, who uploaded it, when it was last updated, or even by tags. 38 00:02:53.200 --> 00:02:59.520 For example, if I only want to see hero images that are tagged homepage, I can filter for that. 39 00:03:00.160 --> 00:03:05.440 Down below, I can choose manage filters and turn on tags. 40 00:03:05.440 --> 00:03:08.960 Then I can either type to narrow down the tag list, 41 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:13.680 but in this case, I can just select the tag I want to filter by. 42 00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:22.080 The results pop right up and the filters I've applied appear at the top as little pills I can clear out anytime. 43 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:26.320 It makes finding exactly what you need really fast. 44 00:03:26.320 --> 00:03:28.720 Alright, let's talk about cleanup. 45 00:03:28.720 --> 00:03:32.560 Maybe we uploaded the wrong image or an outdated promo video. 46 00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:38.560 To delete an asset, just open the actions menu next to it and choose delete. 47 00:03:39.200 --> 00:03:40.720 Now here's the nice part. 48 00:03:40.720 --> 00:03:44.000 ContentStack doesn't just wipe it away instantly. 49 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:48.720 Deleted assets go into trash where they'll sit for 14 days. 50 00:03:48.720 --> 00:03:52.880 So if you make a mistake, you can always restore it. 51 00:03:52.880 --> 00:03:56.720 After that 14-day window, they're gone for good. 52 00:03:56.720 --> 00:04:01.600 To access the trash, click in the top menu bar as long as you're in the CMS. 53 00:04:02.160 --> 00:04:04.640 Then choose trash on the left side. 54 00:04:05.200 --> 00:04:06.320 And that's it. 55 00:04:06.320 --> 00:04:10.160 You now know how to get assets into ContentStack, 56 00:04:10.160 --> 00:04:16.960 keep them organized, quickly track them down, and safely remove the ones you no longer need. 57 00:04:16.960 --> 00:04:22.800 With this foundation, you'll spend less time hunting for files and more time creating content. ``` ```transcript [00:00] In this lesson, we're going to take a closer look at how to manage your visual assets. [00:05] Think of this as everything that isn't plain text, your images, videos, PDFs, even audio files. [00:14] By the end, you'll know how to upload, organize, and filter through them, [00:19] and also how to safely clean things up when you don't need a file anymore. [00:24] So first, let's talk about what the assets repository actually is. [00:30] Think of it as your media library. [00:33] This is where all your reusable files live. [00:36] Anytime you upload an image or a video, it's stored here, [00:40] so you can pull it into multiple entries without having to re-upload it each time. [00:46] One thing to keep in mind, assets are branch specific. [00:50] That means if you're working in development, [00:53] the assets you upload there won't automatically appear in production. [00:58] It's a way to safely test things without cluttering your live environment. [01:03] Alright, let's upload something. [01:05] From your stack, click the assets icon, or if you like shortcuts, just hit the A key. [01:12] Here's the easiest way. [01:14] Drag a file right into the assets area. You'll see it start uploading immediately. [01:19] Or, if you'd rather, click plus new asset and then choose your file. [01:25] Remember, you can bring in up to 10 files at a time, and each file can be up to 700 megabytes. [01:33] Now, to keep things organized, you can set up folders. [01:37] Let's say we want a folder called hero images. [01:40] Ignore that we have one called hero banners. [01:44] This is just a demo. [01:46] Create that first by clicking the new asset folder icon and typing in the name hero images. [01:54] Once it's created, drop your images into it. [01:57] It's just like organizing files on your computer. [02:01] Folders help keep your library clean, especially as it grows. [02:07] Once an asset is uploaded, click into it and you'll see all the details. [02:12] Title, description, tags you can add. [02:15] I'll type in homepage because that's where this image is used. [02:20] Plus, file specific info like type, size, and resolution. [02:25] There's even a referenced in section that shows you which entries are using this asset. [02:31] Super handy when you're trying to track things down. [02:34] Now, let's say your library is getting a little crowded. [02:38] That's where filters come in. [02:40] Return to the main assets area and over on the left, click filters. [02:45] You can narrow down by folder, file type, who uploaded it, when it was last updated, or even by tags. [02:53] For example, if I only want to see hero images that are tagged homepage, I can filter for that. [03:00] Down below, I can choose manage filters and turn on tags. [03:05] Then I can either type to narrow down the tag list, [03:08] but in this case, I can just select the tag I want to filter by. [03:13] The results pop right up and the filters I've applied appear at the top as little pills I can clear out anytime. [03:22] It makes finding exactly what you need really fast. [03:26] Alright, let's talk about cleanup. [03:28] Maybe we uploaded the wrong image or an outdated promo video. [03:32] To delete an asset, just open the actions menu next to it and choose delete. [03:39] Now here's the nice part. [03:40] ContentStack doesn't just wipe it away instantly. [03:44] Deleted assets go into trash where they'll sit for 14 days. [03:48] So if you make a mistake, you can always restore it. [03:52] After that 14-day window, they're gone for good. [03:56] To access the trash, click in the top menu bar as long as you're in the CMS. [04:02] Then choose trash on the left side. [04:05] And that's it. [04:06] You now know how to get assets into ContentStack, [04:10] keep them organized, quickly track them down, and safely remove the ones you no longer need. [04:16] With this foundation, you'll spend less time hunting for files and more time creating content. ``` #### Key takeaways - Connect **Managing Assets** back to your stack configuration before moving to the next module. - Capture one concrete artifact (screenshot, Postman call, or code snippet) that proves the step works in your environment. - Re-read the delivery versus management boundary for anything you changed in the entry model. ### Lesson 06 — Understanding Asset URLs and Metadata #### Video details #### At a glance - **Title:** Understanding Asset URLs and Metadata.mp4 - **Duration:** 2m 54s - **Media link:** https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/Pa89JRVq - **Publish date (unix):** 1757693687 #### Streaming renditions - application/vnd.apple.mpegurl - audio/mp4 · AAC Audio · 113772 kbps - video/mp4 · 180p · 180p · 185894 kbps - video/mp4 · 270p · 270p · 243630 kbps - video/mp4 · 360p · 360p · 294945 kbps - video/mp4 · 406p · 406p · 335306 kbps - video/mp4 · 540p · 540p · 479154 kbps - video/mp4 · 720p · 720p · 715848 kbps - video/mp4 · 1080p · 1080p · 1564741 kbps #### Timed text tracks (delivery) - **thumbnails:** `https://cdn.jwplayer.com/strips/Pa89JRVq-120.vtt` #### Transcript Every asset isn't just a file. It comes with a story, who uploaded it, when it was modified, where it's being used, and the web addresses that allow developers and front ends to pull it into your site. This is where metadata and asset URLs come into play. When you click into an asset, ContentStack shows you more than just a preview. You'll see details like file type, size, dimensions, and even a list of entries that reference the asset. That's critical for knowing whether it's safe to delete or replace something. You'll also see the asset's UID, a unique identifier that never changes, and two different URLs, the file URL and the permanent URL. Here's the distinction. The file URL points to the specific file you uploaded. If you replace that file with a new one, the file URL changes. Think of it as a snapshot in time. The permanent URL is a stable link that always points to the latest version of the asset. Even if you update or replace the file, the permanent URL stays the same and automatically delivers the new version. Think of it as the permanent address that always leads to the current file. So why does this matter? If you're linking an asset into templates, websites, or emails, you'll want to use the permanent URL. It ensures that when the file is updated, your front end doesn't break. Your content automatically reflects the latest version. You may have to create a permanent URL link if one doesn't exist. Just click the Generate Permanent URL link. You'll see it's generated. Then just save the asset. Let's see how this works in practice. With this asset, find the Permanent URL field. Click Copy URL, then paste it into a new browser tab. Notice the image renders immediately. Now imagine replacing this file with a new version. If you were to refresh the browser or call the image from a different app, you'd see the updated file even though you're calling the exact same URL. That's the reliability permanent URLs provide. They make asset delivery predictable and keep your experiences consistent without you having to hunt down broken links. Understanding the metadata and URLs behind your assets helps you make smarter decisions. Whether that's cleaning up unused files, checking dependencies before deleting, or knowing how the front end is pulling in your content. With this knowledge, you're managing assets with confidence, not guesswork. #### Subtitles (WebVTT) ```webvtt WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.520 Every asset isn't just a file. It comes with a story, who uploaded it, when it was modified, 2 00:00:07.520 --> 00:00:14.080 where it's being used, and the web addresses that allow developers and front ends to pull 3 00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:21.280 it into your site. This is where metadata and asset URLs come into play. When you click into 4 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:28.240 an asset, ContentStack shows you more than just a preview. You'll see details like file type, 5 00:00:28.240 --> 00:00:35.440 size, dimensions, and even a list of entries that reference the asset. That's critical for 6 00:00:35.440 --> 00:00:42.400 knowing whether it's safe to delete or replace something. You'll also see the asset's UID, 7 00:00:42.400 --> 00:00:50.800 a unique identifier that never changes, and two different URLs, the file URL and the permanent URL. 8 00:00:51.360 --> 00:00:57.520 Here's the distinction. The file URL points to the specific file you uploaded. If you replace 9 00:00:57.520 --> 00:01:05.040 that file with a new one, the file URL changes. Think of it as a snapshot in time. The permanent 10 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:12.000 URL is a stable link that always points to the latest version of the asset. Even if you update 11 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:19.360 or replace the file, the permanent URL stays the same and automatically delivers the new version. 12 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:24.480 Think of it as the permanent address that always leads to the current file. 13 00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:31.840 So why does this matter? If you're linking an asset into templates, websites, or emails, 14 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:37.760 you'll want to use the permanent URL. It ensures that when the file is updated, 15 00:01:37.760 --> 00:01:43.600 your front end doesn't break. Your content automatically reflects the latest version. 16 00:01:43.600 --> 00:01:50.080 You may have to create a permanent URL link if one doesn't exist. Just click the Generate 17 00:01:50.080 --> 00:01:56.080 Permanent URL link. You'll see it's generated. Then just save the asset. Let's see how this 18 00:01:56.080 --> 00:02:03.360 works in practice. With this asset, find the Permanent URL field. Click Copy URL, 19 00:02:03.360 --> 00:02:10.480 then paste it into a new browser tab. Notice the image renders immediately. Now imagine replacing 20 00:02:10.480 --> 00:02:15.920 this file with a new version. If you were to refresh the browser or call the image from a 21 00:02:15.920 --> 00:02:22.320 different app, you'd see the updated file even though you're calling the exact same URL. That's 22 00:02:22.320 --> 00:02:29.920 the reliability permanent URLs provide. They make asset delivery predictable and keep your experiences 23 00:02:29.920 --> 00:02:37.360 consistent without you having to hunt down broken links. Understanding the metadata and URLs behind 24 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:42.960 your assets helps you make smarter decisions. Whether that's cleaning up unused files, 25 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:49.280 checking dependencies before deleting, or knowing how the front end is pulling in your content. 26 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:54.240 With this knowledge, you're managing assets with confidence, not guesswork. ``` ```transcript [00:00] Every asset isn't just a file. It comes with a story, who uploaded it, when it was modified, [00:07] where it's being used, and the web addresses that allow developers and front ends to pull [00:14] it into your site. This is where metadata and asset URLs come into play. When you click into [00:21] an asset, ContentStack shows you more than just a preview. You'll see details like file type, [00:28] size, dimensions, and even a list of entries that reference the asset. That's critical for [00:35] knowing whether it's safe to delete or replace something. You'll also see the asset's UID, [00:42] a unique identifier that never changes, and two different URLs, the file URL and the permanent URL. [00:51] Here's the distinction. The file URL points to the specific file you uploaded. If you replace [00:57] that file with a new one, the file URL changes. Think of it as a snapshot in time. The permanent [01:05] URL is a stable link that always points to the latest version of the asset. Even if you update [01:12] or replace the file, the permanent URL stays the same and automatically delivers the new version. [01:19] Think of it as the permanent address that always leads to the current file. [01:25] So why does this matter? If you're linking an asset into templates, websites, or emails, [01:31] you'll want to use the permanent URL. It ensures that when the file is updated, [01:37] your front end doesn't break. Your content automatically reflects the latest version. [01:43] You may have to create a permanent URL link if one doesn't exist. Just click the Generate [01:50] Permanent URL link. You'll see it's generated. Then just save the asset. Let's see how this [01:56] works in practice. With this asset, find the Permanent URL field. Click Copy URL, [02:03] then paste it into a new browser tab. Notice the image renders immediately. Now imagine replacing [02:10] this file with a new version. If you were to refresh the browser or call the image from a [02:15] different app, you'd see the updated file even though you're calling the exact same URL. That's [02:22] the reliability permanent URLs provide. They make asset delivery predictable and keep your experiences [02:29] consistent without you having to hunt down broken links. Understanding the metadata and URLs behind [02:37] your assets helps you make smarter decisions. Whether that's cleaning up unused files, [02:42] checking dependencies before deleting, or knowing how the front end is pulling in your content. [02:49] With this knowledge, you're managing assets with confidence, not guesswork. ``` #### Key takeaways - Connect **Understanding Asset URLs and Metadata** back to your stack configuration before moving to the next module. - Capture one concrete artifact (screenshot, Postman call, or code snippet) that proves the step works in your environment. - Re-read the delivery versus management boundary for anything you changed in the entry model. ## Resources & references | Page | Companion Markdown | | --- | --- | | /courses/creating-and-managing-content/understanding-entries | /academy/md/courses/creating-and-managing-content/understanding-entries.md | | /courses/creating-and-managing-content/creating-an-entry | /academy/md/courses/creating-and-managing-content/creating-an-entry.md | | /courses/creating-and-managing-content/rich-text-editors | /academy/md/courses/creating-and-managing-content/rich-text-editors.md | | /courses/creating-and-managing-content/managing-entries | /academy/md/courses/creating-and-managing-content/managing-entries.md | | /courses/creating-and-managing-content/managing-assets | /academy/md/courses/creating-and-managing-content/managing-assets.md | | /courses/creating-and-managing-content/understanding-asset-urls-and-metadata | /academy/md/courses/creating-and-managing-content/understanding-asset-urls-and-metadata.md | ## Supplement for indexing ### Content summary Creating and managing content is at the heart of working in Contentstack, and this course shows you how to do it with confidence. You’ll start by learning the fundamentals of entries—what they are, how to organize them, … Creating and managing content is at the heart of working in Contentstack, and this course shows you how to do it with confidence. You’ll start by learning the fundamentals of entries—what they are, how to organize them, and how to create new ones for your site. From there, you’ll explore how to manage entries effectively, whether that means editing, copying, deleting, or importing them into your stack. You’ll also dive into the Assets module, where you’ll discover how to upload, filter, tag, and delete files, as well as how to work with metadata, file URLs, and permanent URLs to ensure reliabl ### Retrieval tags - cms - content management - authoring - creating-and-managing-content - Understanding - Entries - Creating - Entry - Rich - Text - Editors - Managing - Assets - Asset ### Indexing notes Chunk at each "### Lesson NN — Title" heading; copy lesson_id and topics from the preceding HTML comment into chunk metadata for RAG filters. Course slug: creating-and-managing-content. Union of lesson topic tokens: Understanding, Entries, Creating, Entry, Rich, Text, Editors, Managing, Assets, Asset, URLs, and, Metadata. Do not embed or retrieve LMS-only quiz items or mastery exam answer keys from this export. ### Asset references | Label | URL | | --- | --- | | Video thumbnail: Understanding Entries | `https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/iPGu30ZB/poster.jpg?width=720` | | Video thumbnail: Creating an Entry | `https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/yzWx2X5g/poster.jpg?width=720` | | Video thumbnail: Rich Text Editors | `https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/TQW4P84x/poster.jpg?width=720` | | Video thumbnail: Managing Entries | `https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/WVH2rahw/poster.jpg?width=720` | | Video thumbnail: Managing Assets | `https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/bSYHK7UA/poster.jpg?width=720` | | Video thumbnail: Understanding Asset URLs and Metadata | `https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Pa89JRVq/poster.jpg?width=720` | ### External links | Label | URL | | --- | --- | | Contentstack Academy home | `https://www.contentstack.com/academy/` | | Training instance setup | `https://www.contentstack.com/academy/training-instance` | | Academy playground (GitHub) | `https://github.com/contentstack/contentstack-academy-playground` | | Contentstack documentation | `https://www.contentstack.com/docs/` |