Hello,
I uploaded my first Jekyll site on github.
I would like to connect the admin panel or cms system.
I’ve been trying to connect NetlifyCMS all day, but I’m completely confused.
Can someone suggest another easier way to get the admin panel?
Or tell us step by step how to connect NetlifyCMS?
Thank you!
Hi.
The Netlify docs have a tutorial on setting up the CMS. You have to make an admin HTML page with some configuration and then when deployed you can login to the CMS on the site.
And if you find the Netlify account on GitHub, they have a one click deploy template for a site using Netlify CMS.
I did have issues using it before as there is a lot of code on site and the admin view. So building from scratch might be more useful.
A codeless approach is to use Forestry. It works for Jekyll, Hugo and more. You can generate a new site in Forestry
Or import your Jekyll site.
It needs some set up sometimes but you can manage some complex stuff in Forestry like required fields in the frontmatter of a page or a list of key value pairs. And when you save, it writes to your repo but it much simpler than Netlify.
I wrote a post on it
Forestry only gives you 3 users on the free tier but maybe fine for your needs.
Here is an example of a Forestry config that Forestry created for me
And the template for a Resource page so when i edit a page or make a new page of my custom Resource type or blog post type or whatever, it has necessary fields
Thank you very match.
I will be try!
Here is how I enter data in my Resources type page.
If you have a look at the YAML files above, when I make a page, then that template is enforced.
I am setting up a website for one of my clients, then I plan to push it through a CMS Admin Panel to make it easier for them to maintain. So, I’m curious to know why you decided to go with Forestry vs Netlify or the others? From a client’s perspective, I’m wondering which CMS would appeal to the non-technical people? It would be great if I could find some kind of comparison chart with the pros-cons, before I dive into the docs and invest time into the project. BTW: Thanks for being a wealth of information for Jekyll noobs.
The thing with Forestry is that you get to make changes to the fields using the UI.
While using Netlify means you have to write some code to define your fields and might have to look at the docs so you know the syntax and choices available
Once you have it set up, either is fine for your content managers. But if the needs ever change, as is common in business and software, then Forestry will let an admin change the fields without knowing how to code.
Netlify let’s you do advanced stuff like determine what the fields look like. In the one project I used, there were previews on the right of the content on the left.
I’d say try out Forestry first as it has lower barrier to entry and spend time on Netlify CMS too if you want and have the patience. Then make the call
Or find some article or video which compares both.
In case you go with Forestry note that Forestry doesn’t host your site so you still need Netlify or GH Pages or whatever.
If you go with Netlify, you have the host and CMS in one platform
Not that you need to choose based on that difference, but just be aware and have that mental model of how they work.
I also recommend using the templates that Forestry gives in the UI main screen. You can have a Hugo or Next or Jekyll or whatever site with placeholder content added to github and Forestry in seconds and can delete if you don’t like it. I don’t know if Netlify does that. Netlify CMS is just one feature of Netlify while Forestry is only a CMS
Wow, thank you for pointing that out. I didn’t realize that Forestry still requires you to also host the site somewhere. It would be nice if it was as easy as:
Finally, it would be great if the Docs for UI would be easy for my (non-techie) clients to understand.
Both tools will do those steps you want with the difference in Forestry being much easier to configure (no need for coding or needing to look up docs), and lacking hosting which is fine.
If you configure a URL in Forestry it will have a button to take you to your site.
Also you can set up a dev server in Forestry which hosts a temporary fast rebuilding server so you can view your site as rendered by Forestry.
If Forestry is your CMS you can use GH Pages or Netlify or CloudFare Pages or whatever as your site.
Just checking the pricing plans for both as well to see you can get enough users added on a free plan or whatever
Hi @JackieGable, Forestry is great and @MichaelCurrin originally pointed me to it. Do not worry too much about the whole no-hosting thing with Forestry. Since you are using Netlify, I assume you have the site build every time there is a change? If so, when you save a post, it will go up to your site, so it is just like modifying the code on GitHub or your code editor.
The Forestry editor is great and super easy to use. My business partner, a self-proclaimed Luddite, uses it to publish my podcast every week. It is like opening a form with a text area to type. It is like using a super lightweight version of MS Word or a Google Doc.
If you are having trouble setting things up, let us know and we can walk you through the steps. There are some helpful tips on the screen, but they are not super useful if it is your first time. Also, Forestry is moving to a new UI over time, so I think it might be better (haven’t seen it but they talk about it being great).
Thank you Bill. I appreciate your input.
