CMS

CMS stands for Content Management System: software that helps you create, organize, edit, and publish website content — usually through an admin panel — without rebuilding the site in code every time.

Editors log in, update pages, posts, images, and menus, and the CMS stores that content and displays it on the public site. WordPress is the best-known example; others include Drupal, Joomla, and Shopify for stores. A traditional CMS often couples the editing experience with how pages are rendered. A headless CMS separates content from the front end.

A real-life example of a CMS

Without a CMS, changing a “Hours” line might mean asking a developer to edit HTML and redeploy. With a CMS, the shop owner opens the dashboard, edits the text, and hits publish. Themes, plugins, and permissions make it scalable — and also something to keep updated for security.

For a practical overview of CMS choices and related website basics, see Web Wise: How Do I Get Technical with My Website?.