Content editor role
A quick guide to using the Content editor role to update, manage, and maintain content in Webflow.
Role overview
As someone assigned the Content editor role in Webflow, you may be responsible for maintaining site content like blog posts, service or product pages, resources, or documentation across pages and CMS items. Depending on your team and focus, your work might include editing copy, updating images, managing structured CMS content, or keeping information accurate and up to date across the site.
The Content editor role in Webflow is designed to help you work confidently within established layouts and structures. It gives you access to the tools needed to edit and manage content in Webflow, so you can make updates visually on the canvas and collaborate closely with Designers and Marketers without changing layout, styling, or site structure.
This guide walks through what you can do in Webflow, where guardrails apply, and how to work confidently within them.
Permissions & guardrails
What you can do
You work visually on the canvas, so you can make and review changes in context as you go.
- Edit site content, including text, images, and links
- Add, edit, and publish CMS items (if permissions are enabled)
- Update page-level SEO and visibility settings
(e.g. SEO title tags & meta descriptions) - Edit content across secondary locales with Webflow Localization
- Review site performance & analytics in Webflow Analyze
- Test and optimize content using Webflow Optimize
- Manage form submissions
- Publish pages and content (if permissions are enabled)
What you cannot do
These guardrails are intentional. They help you move quickly while protecting design consistency across the site.
- Build pages using page templates or components
- Make changes to the site's styles or structure
- Edit the site's design system
- Create or modify components, classes, or variables
- Create new or modify existing CMS Collections
- Edit custom code or site-wide settings
What you'll do most
The Content editor role is designed around a few common, high-impact workflows. These are the tasks you’ll return to most often.
Edit content
Editing content as a Content editor focuses on keeping pages accurate, clear, and up to date. This includes updating copy, swapping images, adjusting links, and maintaining content consistency as information changes.
You’ll make these updates directly on the canvas, so you can see how content looks in context as you work. This makes it easy to review spacing, hierarchy, and flow without affecting layout, styling, or responsiveness.
If an update requires layout changes or new visual patterns, it’s best to involve a Designer. Once those updates are made, you can continue editing content confidently within approved components and structures.
Add, edit, and publish CMS items
Working with CMS items as a Content editor usually means managing repeatable content like blog posts, team profiles, resources, or documentation. You’ll create new items, update existing ones, and keep structured content accurate over time.
For example, when updating a blog post, you might edit the title, body content, author information, or SEO fields, preview the changes on the live template, and publish updates when they’re ready.
If you need to change the structure of a CMS Collection such as adding fields or modifying templates, that’s a good time to involve a Designer. Once the structure is in place, you can continue managing CMS content confidently within those guardrails.
Manage SEO & page settings
Managing SEO and page settings as a Content editor focuses on keeping content discoverable and accurate. This includes updating page titles & meta descriptions, Open Graph settings, and visibility options for individual static pages or CMS items.
You’ll typically make these updates from page or CMS settings, where you can preview how content may appear in search results or social shares. Because these settings apply at the page or item level, you can make updates without affecting site-wide behavior.
If changes are needed at a global or template level, it’s best to involve a Designer. Once those updates are made, you can continue managing page-level SEO confidently within those guardrails.
Localize content
Localizing content as a Content editor focuses on adapting existing pages and CMS items for different languages, regions, or markets. This includes translating copy, updating localized images or links, and ensuring content feels relevant and accurate for each audience.
You’ll typically localize content by working with localized versions of pages or CMS items, updating text and media fields while previewing how each locale appears on the site. Because layouts and structure are shared across locales, you can focus on content accuracy and clarity without worrying about design or responsiveness.
If localization requires structural changes such as adding new fields, adjusting templates, or changing how content is organized across locales, it’s best to involve a Designer. Once the localization setup is in place, you can continue managing and updating localized content confidently within those guardrails.
Add, respond to, and resolve comments
Working with comments as a Content editor focuses on collaborating with teammates directly on pages and CMS content. You can add comments to flag questions, request feedback, or call attention to specific content changes that need review.
You’ll typically use comments to respond to feedback from Designers, Marketers, or Reviewers, clarify context, and make updates based on suggestions. Because comments live directly on the page or content you’re working on, it’s easy to understand feedback in context and keep conversations tied to the work itself.
Once feedback has been addressed, you can resolve comments to keep threads clean and signal that changes are complete. If a comment requires design, structural, or system-level changes, it’s best to loop in the appropriate role before resolving. This helps teams stay aligned and move work forward efficiently.
Manage form submissions
Managing form submissions as a Content editor focuses on reviewing and responding to information submitted through forms on your site. This might include contact requests, support inquiries, or internal submissions tied to content updates.
You’ll typically review submissions in Webflow or through connected tools, export data when needed, and use it to follow up with leads or measure campaign performance. Because you’re working with submitted data (not the form’s structure or styling), you can manage responses and workflows without affecting how forms are built or displayed on the site.
If you need to change the form’s fields, layout, validation, or integrations, that’s a good moment to involve a Designer or Developer. Once those updates are made, you can continue monitoring and managing form submissions confidently within those guardrails.
Review site analytics in Webflow Analyze
Reviewing site analytics as a Content editor helps you understand how people interact with pages and content over time. This includes looking at traffic, engagement, or conversion data to identify content that may need updates or clarification.
You can review analytics using Webflow Analyze (or other connected analytics tools), focusing on specific pages or CMS items. These insights can help you prioritize updates, refresh outdated content, or flag issues for further optimization.
If changes are needed to analytics setup or tracking, that’s a good time to involve a Designer or Site Admin. Once tracking is in place, you can continue reviewing performance confidently within those guardrails.
Test and optimize content using Webflow Optimize
Testing and optimizing content as a Content editor focuses on refining copy and content within existing optimization setups. This might include updating headlines, messaging, or content variations that are already part of an optimization experiment.
Within Webflow Optimize, you can create and modify variations of existing Optimize experiences, enable or disable them, and review results to understand how different content performs. Because these updates happen within existing layouts and experiences, you can iterate safely without affecting site structure or design.
Creating or managing experiments, audiences, events, or goals requires broader permissions. If you need to adjust how an experiment is set up, that’s a good moment to loop in a Marketer or Designer before making changes.
Working with your team
Here’s how the Content editor role collaborates with other roles across key stages of editing, reviewing, and publishing.
Content editors work with Designers when content updates require changes to layout, structure, or presentation. This might include adjusting how content is displayed, adding new components, or updating templates to support new content needs.
Designers are responsible for maintaining the design system and ensuring changes scale consistently across the site. They create and update reusable templates, components, and layouts that Content editors rely on.
Looping in a Designer early helps prevent workarounds and keeps content aligned with the overall design system. Once updates are in place, you can continue managing and updating content confidently using approved structures.
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Content editors often work with Marketers when content updates support campaigns, launches, or ongoing optimization in Webflow. This typically means coordinating updates to pages or CMS items that Marketers are responsible for building, publishing, or testing.
Content editors may update copy, images, or structured CMS fields while Marketers handle page assembly, SEO settings, publishing, or optimization tools like Webflow Optimize. Comments are often used to clarify changes, flag content for review, or confirm when updates are ready to publish.
This collaboration helps keep content accurate and up to date while allowing Marketers to focus on launch timing, performance, and iteration. By working within shared templates and CMS structures, both roles can move quickly without overlapping responsibilities.
Content editors work with Reviewers to get feedback and approval before content goes live. In Webflow, this usually happens through comments added directly to pages or CMS items that are ready for review.
Reviewers leave comments to flag issues with copy, accuracy, or compliance, which Content editors then address directly in the canvas or CMS. Keeping feedback in Webflow makes it easier to understand what needs to change and avoids back-and-forth in external tools.
Once feedback is addressed and comments are resolved, Content editors can publish updates with confidence. If a Reviewer identifies issues that require design or structural changes, those can be escalated to a Designer before content moves forward.
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Start learning
Learn how to use Webflow as a Content editor with these curated learning experiences on Webflow University.
