Web content

management
system

A web content management system (WCM or WCMS) is a software

content management system (CMS) specifically for web content.[1] It
provides website authoring, collaboration, and administration tools that
help users with little knowledge of web programming languages or markup
languages create and manage website content. A WCMS provides the
foundation for collaboration, providing users the ability to manage
documents and output for multiple author editing and participation. Most
systems use a content repository or a database to store page content,
metadata, and other information assets the system needs.

A presentation layer (template engine) displays the content to website

visitors based on a set of templates, which are sometimes XSLT files.[1]

Most systems use server side caching to improve performance. This works
best when the WCMS is not changed often but visits happen frequently.
Administration is also typically done through browser-based interfaces,

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 but some systems require the use of a fat client.

Capabilities
A web content management system controls a dynamic collection of web
material, including HTML documents, images, and other forms of media.[2]
A WCMS facilitates document control, auditing, editing, and timeline
management. A WCMS typically has the following features:[3][4]

Automated templates
Create standard templates
(usually HTML and XML) that
users can apply to new and
existing content, changing the
appearance of all content from
one central place.
Access control
Some WCMS systems support
user groups, which control how

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 registered users interact with
the site. A page on the site can
be restricted to one or more
groups. This means an
anonymous user (someone not
logged-on), or a logged on
user who is not a member of
the group a page is restricted
to, is denied access.
Scalable expansion
Available in most modern
WCMSs.is the ability to expand
a single implementation (one
installation on one server)

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 across multiple domains,
depending on the server's
settings. WCMS sites may be
able to create microsites/web
portals within a main site as
well.
Easily editable content
Once content is separated
from the visual presentation of
a site, it usually becomes much
easier and quicker to edit and
manipulate. Most WCMS
software includes WYSIWYG
editing tools allowing non-

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 technical users to create and
edit content.
Scalable feature sets
Most WCMS software includes
plug-ins or modules that can
be easily installed to extend an
existing site's functionality.
Web standards upgrades
Active WCMS software usually
receives regular updates that
include new feature sets and
keep the system up to current
web standards.
Workflow management

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 Workflow management is the
process of creating cycles of
sequential and parallel tasks
that must be accomplished in
the WCMS. For example, one
or many content creators can
submit a story, but it is not
published until the copy editor
cleans it up and the editor-in-
chief approves it.
Collaboration
WCMS software may act as a
collaboration platform where
many users retrieve and work

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 on content. Changes can be
tracked and authorized for
publication or ignored reverting
to old versions. Other
advanced forms of
collaboration allow multiple
users to modify (or comment)
a page at the same time in a
collaboration session.
Delegation
Some WCMS software allows
for various user groups to have
limited privileges over specific
content on the website,

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 spreading out the
responsibility of content
management.[5]
Document management
WCMS software may provide a
means of collaboratively
managing the life cycle of a
document from initial creation
time, through revisions,
publication, archive, and
document destruction.
Content virtualization
WCMS software may provide a
means of allowing each user to

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 work within a virtual copy of
the entire website, document
set, and/or code base. This
enables viewing changes to
multiple interdependent
resources in context before
submission.
Content syndication
WCMS software often helps
distribute content by
generating RSS and Atom data
feeds to other systems. They
may also e-mail users when
updates become available.

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 Multilingual
Many WCMSs can display
content in multiple languages.
Versioning
Like document management
systems, WCMS software may
implement version control, by
which users check pages in
and out of the WCMS.
Authorized editors can retrieve
previous versions and work
from a selected point.
Versioning is useful for content
that changes and requires

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 updating, but it may be
necessary to start from or
reference a previous version.

Types
A WCMS can use one of three approaches: offline processing, online
processing, and hybrid processing. These terms describe the deployment
pattern for the WCMS in terms of when it applies presentation templates
to render web pages from structured content.

Offline processing
These systems, sometimes referred to as "static site generators",[6] pre-
process all content, applying templates before publication to generate web
pages. Since pre-processing systems do not require a server to apply the
templates at request time, they may also exist purely as design-time tools.

Online processing

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 These systems apply templates on-demand. They may generate HTML
when a user visits the page, or the user might receive pre-generated
HTML from a web cache. Most open source WCMSs support add-ons that
extended the system's capabilities. These include features like forums,
blogs, wikis, web stores, photo galleries, and contact management. These
are variously called modules, nodes, widgets, add-ons, or extensions.

Hybrid processing
JavaServer Pages|Some systems combine the offline and online
approaches. Some systems write out executable code (e.g., JSP, ASP,
PHP, ColdFusion, or Perl pages) rather than just static HTML. That way,
personnel don't have to deploy the WCMS itself on every web server.
Other hybrids operate in either an online or offline mode.

Advantages

Low cost
Some content management
systems are free, such as
Drupal, eZ Publish, TYPO3,
Joomla, Zesty.io, and

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 WordPress. Others may be
affordable based on size
subscriptions.[7] Although
subscriptions can be
expensive, overall the cost of
not having to hire full-time
developers can lower the total
costs. Plus software can be
bought based on need for
many WCMSs.

Easy customization
A universal layout is created,
making pages have a similar
theme and design without

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 much code. Many WCMS tools
use a drag and drop AJAX
system for their design modes.
It makes it easy for beginner
users to create custom front-
ends.[8]

Easy to use
WCMSs accommodate non-
technical people. Simplicity in
design of the admin UI lets
website content managers and
other users update content
without much training in
coding or system

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 maintenance.

Workflow management
WCMSs provide the facility to
control how content is
published, when it is published,
and who publishes it. Some
WCMSs allow administrators
to set up rules for workflow
management, guiding content
managers through a series of
steps required for each of their
tasks.

Good For SEO

WCMS websites also

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 accommodate search engine
optimization (SEO). Content
freshness helps, as some
search engines prefer websites
with newer content. Social
media plugins help build a
community around content.
RSS feeds automatically
generated by blogs, or WCMS
websites can increase the
number of subscribers and
readers to a site. URL rewriting
can be implemented easily—
clean URLs without

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 parameters further help in
SEO.Some plugins specifically
help with website SEO.

Disadvantages

Cost of implementations
Larger scale implementations
may require training, planning,
and certifications. Certain
WCMSs may require hardware
installation. Commitment to the
software is required on bigger
investments. Commitment to
training, developing, and

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 upkeep are costs incurred in
any enterprise system.[9]

Cost of maintenance
Maintaining WCMSs may
require license updates,
upgrades, and hardware
maintenance.

Latency issues
Larger WCMSs can experience
latency if hardware
infrastructure is not up-to-
date, databases are used
incorrectly, or web cache files
that reload every time data

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 updates grow too large. Load
balancing issues may also
impair caching files.

Tool mixing
Because the URLs of many
WCMSs are dynamically
generated with internal
parameters and reference
information, they are often not
stable enough for static pages
and other web tools,
particularly search engines, to
rely on them.

Security

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 WCMS's are often forgotten
about when hardware,
software, and operating
systems are patched for
security threats. Due to lack of
patching by the user, a hacker
can use unpatched WCMS
software to exploit
vulnerabilities to enter an
otherwise secure environment.
WCMS's should be part of an
overall, holistic security patch
management program to
maintain the highest possible

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 security standards.[10]

See also

Content management
Content management system
Dynamic web page
Enterprise content
management
Headless content
management system
HTML
LAMP (software bundle)
List of content management

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 systems
Web portal
Website builder
Web content development
Wiki

References

1. Mike Johnston (7
September 2011). "CMS or
WCM - Which is Which?" (
http://www.cmscritic.com/c
ms-or-wcm-which-is-whic
h/) . cmscritic.com.
Retrieved 2011-09-07.
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 2. Mike Johnston (2009).
"What is a CMS?" (http://c
mscritic.com/what-is-a-cm
s) . CMS Critic. Retrieved
2009-02-13.
3. Multiple (wiki). "Content
management system" (http
s://web.archive.org/web/2
0121230162058/http://do
cforge.com/wiki/Content_
management_system) .
Docforge. Archived from
the original (http://docforg
e.com/wiki/Content_manag
ement_system) on 2012-
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 ement_system) on 2012-
12-30. Retrieved
2010-01-19.
4. "Everything you need to
know about WordPress" (ht
tps://web.archive.org/web/
20120109160957/http://w
ww.qualithemes.com/every
thing-about-wordpress/) .
QualiThemes. Archived
from the original (http://ww
w.qualithemes.com/everyth
ing-about-wordpress/) on
9 January 2012. Retrieved
20 October 2011.

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 5. Jovia Web Studio (2009).
"Is a Content Management
System Right for You" (http
s://web.archive.org/web/2
0130521095342/http://w
ww.joviawebstudio.com/ind
ex.php/blog/is_a_content_
management_system_right
_for_you/) . Jovia Web
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p/blog/is_a_content_manag
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 Retrieved 2009-02-13.
6. Hall, Chris (1 May 2014).
"The updated big list of
static website generators
for your site, blog or wiki" (
https://iwantmyname.com/
blog/the-updated-big-list-o
f-static-website-generators
-for-your-site-blog-or-wik
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7. "SharePoint" (https://archiv
e.today/2012070803292
5/http://www.techrepublic.
com/article/solutionbase-u
nderstanding-the-differenc
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 nderstanding-the-differenc
es-between-sharepoint-po
rtal-server-and-the-windo
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8. "AJAX - WordPress Codex"
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g/AJAX) . Retrieved
17 March 2011.
9. "The 5 hidden costs of
running a CMS" (https://we
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 running a CMS" (https://we
b.archive.org/web/201104
26204613/http://thinkvita
min.com/web-industry/the-
5-hidden-costs-of-running
-a-cms/) . Archived from
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Retrieved 17 March 2011.
10. "Content Management
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 gov/ncas/alerts/TA13-024
A) . 19 October 2016.

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