Glossary

A reference of key terms used throughout the Contentrain documentation and the broader headless CMS ecosystem.

API (Application Programming Interface)

A set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate with each other. Contentrain provides APIs that let your frontend application fetch and display content stored in your repository.

Assets

Files such as images, videos, documents, and other media that are managed alongside your content. In Contentrain, assets are tracked in an assets.json registry and can be referenced from content entries using media fields.

Branch

A parallel version of your repository that allows you to work on content or configuration changes independently. Contentrain uses Git branches to manage different environments (e.g., draft, staging, production).

CDN (Content Delivery Network)

A geographically distributed network of servers that delivers content to users from the nearest location, improving load times and performance. Static sites built with Contentrain content are commonly served through a CDN.

CMS (Content Management System)

Software that helps users create, manage, and publish digital content. Contentrain is a headless CMS, meaning it handles content management separately from content presentation.

Collection / Content Model

A structured definition that groups related content entries together. In Contentrain, a collection (also called a content model) defines the fields, types, and validation rules that all entries within it must follow.

Content

The information and data managed within your CMS, such as text, images, and metadata. In Contentrain, content is stored as JSON entries organized by collections and optionally accompanied by Markdown or MDX files.

Content Type / Field Type

The specific data type assigned to a field within a content model, such as string, number, boolean, date, richtext, relation, or media. Field types determine what kind of data can be entered and how it is validated.

Draft

A content status indicating that an entry is a work in progress and not yet visible to end users. Entries in Contentrain start as drafts before being published.

Environment

A distinct deployment context for your content, typically mapped to a Git branch. Contentrain uses environments to separate draft, staging, and production content workflows.

Frontend

The user-facing part of a website or application that displays content to visitors. With a headless CMS like Contentrain, the frontend is fully decoupled and can be built using any framework such as Next.js, Nuxt, Astro, or React.

Git

A distributed version control system that tracks changes to files over time. Contentrain stores all content and models in a Git repository, providing full version history, collaboration support, and branch-based workflows.

Headless CMS

A content management system that provides content through APIs without a built-in frontend presentation layer. Contentrain is a Git-based headless CMS, meaning content is stored in Git repositories and delivered to any frontend through APIs or static site generation.

i18n (Internationalization)

The process of designing and preparing your content and application to support multiple languages and regions. Contentrain supports i18n by allowing content models to be localized, with separate language-specific JSON files sharing the same entry IDs.

Jamstack

A modern web architecture based on pre-rendering and decoupling the frontend from the backend. Jamstack sites typically use a headless CMS like Contentrain for content, a static site generator for building pages, and a CDN for delivery.

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)

A lightweight data interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write and for machines to parse. Contentrain stores content entries and model definitions as JSON files within your Git repository.

Localization

The process of adapting content for specific languages, regions, or cultures. In Contentrain, localized content is stored in separate language files (e.g., en.json, fr.json) where each entry shares the same unique ID across all languages.

Markdown / MDX

Lightweight markup formats for writing formatted text. Markdown uses simple syntax for headings, links, and lists. MDX extends Markdown by allowing embedded JSX components. Contentrain supports both formats, storing the body content in .md or .mdx files while keeping metadata in the JSON index.

Model

A schema that defines the structure of a content collection, including its fields, field types, and validation rules. Models in Contentrain are stored as JSON metadata and determine what data each content entry can contain.

Publish

A content status indicating that an entry is live and available to end users. In Contentrain, publishing an entry changes its status from draft to publish, making it part of the production content.

Repository

A Git repository that stores your project files, content, models, and version history. Contentrain uses the repository as its primary data store, enabling collaboration through standard Git workflows.

Richtext

A field type that allows formatted text content, including bold, italic, headings, links, lists, and other styling. Richtext fields in Contentrain enable content creators to produce visually structured text without writing raw HTML.

Serverless

A cloud computing model where the infrastructure is managed by the provider, allowing you to run code and serve content without managing servers. Contentrain integrates with serverless platforms for scalable content delivery.

Slug

A URL-friendly string identifier derived from a content entry's title or name. In Contentrain, slugs are required for Markdown and MDX models and are used to generate clean, human-readable URLs for your pages.

SSG (Static Site Generation)

A build process that pre-renders web pages into static HTML files at build time. Frameworks like Astro, Next.js, and Nuxt can use Contentrain content to generate static pages that load quickly and are easy to host.

SSR (Server-Side Rendering)

A rendering approach where web pages are generated on the server for each request. SSR can be combined with Contentrain to deliver dynamic, up-to-date content while maintaining good SEO and performance.

Status

A property on every content entry that indicates its current lifecycle stage. Contentrain uses three status values: draft (work in progress), publish (live), and changed (published entry with pending modifications).

Webhook

An HTTP callback triggered by a specific event, such as a content update or publish action. Webhooks allow Contentrain to notify external services (e.g., triggering a site rebuild) when content changes occur.

Workspace

A shared organizational space in Contentrain where team members collaborate on projects. Workspaces provide access control and team management for content operations across one or more projects.

Project

A distinct site or application within a Contentrain workspace that has its own repository, content models, environments, and settings. Each project connects to a Git repository where all content and configuration are stored.