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Content Types

In WordPress, we operate with two types of content: Posts and Pages.

While there are no restrictions on exactly what type of content can be added to either a post or a page, posts are generally intended for dynamic, chronological content and pages for static, hierarchical content. By default, posts are time-stamped entries that automatically appear in reverse chronological order on your site while pages are timeless and form the structural framework of a wesbite.

All blocks and patterns can be used in both posts and pages.

Coming from Drupal?

Those familiar with Drupal will immediately note the lack of custom content types.

In Drupal, creating custom content types is a standard practice for nearly any website with specialised content needs. This stems from Drupal's architectural philosophy of highly structured content modeling where different content needs are addressed through distinct, purpose-built content types with specialised fields. WordPress takes a fundamentally different approach, centered around two versatile core content types—posts and pages as introduced above—that can be extended through various built-in features to accommodate all content needs.

Rather than creating separate content types for different content categories, WordPress uses taxonomies (Categories and Tags) to differentiate content. Similarly, WordPress blocks and customised patterns provide the same functionality as Drupal's custom fields and structured data. These can be consistently applied across posts and pages to store specific data like experiment parameters, publication DOIs, or technical specifications; create consistent metadata; enable advanced filtering and search functionality; support specialised display requirements; and much more.

Where custom content types in Drupal ensured certain visual representations and renderings, WordPress blocks can be combined into reusable patterns that maintain visual consistency wherever they are needed. As all blocks in the CERN WordPress Theme conform to design and accessibility guidelines, created content will also conform. What matters most in WordPress is thus the library of available blocks and pre-made patterns that can be assembled to create richly structured content within the posts and pages framework.

WordPress at CERN supports all use-cases from the CERN Drupal Distribution, and more.

Pages​

Content such as:

  • contact information;
  • mission statements and objectives;
  • team or collaboration member profiles;
  • core information about your department, experiment, or project;
  • resource libraries and documentation;
  • reference materials; and
  • policies and procedures

is typically accommodated nicely by pages.

Pages can have parent-child relationships, allowing you to create organized, nested content (e.g., a "Research" parent page with child pages for different research areas). Pages have stable, logical URLs that do not include date information, making them ideal for sharing important reference content. Lastly, pages are organised through their hierarchical relationships rather than taxonomies and do not display publication dates, emphasising their evergreen nature.

Posts​

Content such as

  • news announcements;
  • project updates;
  • event reports and articles;
  • regular communications;
  • research highlights; and
  • team achievements

is typically accommodated nicely by posts.

In WordPress, every post is filed under one or more Categories (with the default category being Uncategorised). A category is like a broad, hierarchical topic and allow the classification of posts into both groups and subgroups, aiding users in the navigation and use of your website. Each category may be assigned to a parent category, e.g. Science -> Physics -> Antimatter.

Additionally, Tags (specific keywords, similar to hashtags on social media) can be applied to posts independent of selected category or categories. By default, if one or more existing tags occurs verbatim in a post, they will automatically be selected upon publication, easing the editorial process. The CERN WordPress Theme enforces a dynamically scaled number of categories and tags on a website based on the amount of published content, reducing the risk of overwhelming users.

Both categories and tags are unique and case-sensitive.