Getting Started: The Edit Panel in CatapultCMS
This guide will help you understand the Edit Panel in CatapultCMS—the primary tool used to add, update, and manage content on your website pages. The Edit Panel allows you to place content directly into page layouts, rearrange elements, and reuse content across your site. Once you’re familiar with how it works, editing pages becomes fast, flexible, and intuitive.
Table of Contents
Rearranging and Reusing Content
Opening the Edit Panel
You can access the Edit Panel from the Pages panel or directly from a page preview.
To open the Edit Panel:
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Navigate to Websites from the Dashboard
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Open the Pages panel
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Double-click the page you want to edit
You can also open the Edit Panel by previewing a page and clicking the green Edit button in the upper-left corner.
Once opened, the Edit Panel appears alongside your page so you can work directly within the layout.
Edit Panel Overview
The Edit Panel is divided into three main areas:
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The toolbar at the top
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The content elements list
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The Content Clipboard at the bottom
Together, these areas allow you to add new content, modify existing content, and reuse elements across pages.
The Edit Panel Toolbar
The toolbar contains essential controls for managing your edits.
Save: Saves all changes made during your editing session.
History: Allows you to view and restore previous versions of the page. This is helpful if you need to undo changes or recover content.
My Pages: Closes the Edit Panel and returns you to the Pages panel.
Close and Discard: Exits the Edit Panel without saving any changes made during the current session.
Adding Content to a Page
The Edit Panel includes a set of content elements you can use to build and organize page layouts. Elements appear in a consistent order and are grouped into standard elements and advanced elements.
Standard Content Elements
These elements are used for most day-to-day page content.
Text Element: Add and format body text, links, lists, and basic content.
Title Element: Add headings to organize sections and improve page readability.
Gallery Element: Display multiple images in a grid-style layout.
Slideshow Element: Display rotating images in a carousel format.
Tabbed Element: Organize related content into tabs to reduce page length and improve usability.
Moving Text Element: Add scrolling or animated text, commonly used for brief notices or highlights.
Video Element: Embed videos from supported video platforms.
HTML Element: Insert custom HTML for advanced layouts or embedded tools. Use with caution.
Contact Form Element: Add a form that allows visitors to submit messages or inquiries.
Calendar Element: Embed a calendar to display events and important dates.
Button Element: Create clickable buttons that link to pages, documents, or external websites.
Picture Element: Insert a single image into the page.
Doc List Element: Display a list of downloadable documents such as PDFs or Word files.
Spacer Element: Add vertical spacing between elements to improve layout and readability.
Advanced Elements
Advanced elements are used for structured, dynamic, or reusable content and may require additional configuration or permissions.
Banner Element: Add large banner visuals, often used at the top of pages or sections.
Announcements Element: Display announcements directly on a page.
Staff Directory Element: Embed a staff directory or directory group onto a page.
Component Element: Add dashboard-style components or structured visual elements.
Saved Content Element: Reuse previously saved content blocks across multiple pages.
Availability of advanced elements depends on your site setup and user permissions.
How to Add an Element
To add any element to a page:
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Select the element from the Edit Panel
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Drag it to a dotted content region on the page
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Release when the area highlights and displays “Drop Here”
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Click the element to edit its content and settings
Each element includes its own configuration options, such as formatting, links, images, or display rules.
Rearranging and Reusing Content
Rearranging Elements
You can reposition content by clicking and dragging elements to a new location on the page. Depending on your page template, some areas support side-by-side layouts.
Reordering elements changes how visitors experience your content, so preview changes as you work.
Using the Content Clipboard
The Content Clipboard is located at the bottom of the Edit Panel.
You can drag elements into the clipboard to save them for reuse. Clipboard items can be pulled into other pages, making it easy to reuse buttons, formatted text blocks, or common layouts.
Saving Your Changes
When you finish editing:
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Click Save in the Edit Panel
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Review your changes in preview mode
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Publish the page according to your site’s workflow when you’re ready
Unsaved changes will be lost if you close the Edit Panel without saving.
Best Practices
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Save frequently while editing
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Use History to recover earlier versions
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Keep pages visually balanced by spacing elements intentionally
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Reuse content with Saved Content or the clipboard to maintain consistency
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Preview pages before publishing to confirm layout and readability
Learn More
Continue building your CatapultCMS skills:
Once you’re comfortable with the Edit Panel, you’ll be ready to confidently build, organize, and maintain content across your site.