Website Launch Workflow Guide¶

Take your SkyCMS installation from zero to ready for content creators in 6 structured phases.

This guide provides a complete roadmap for developers launching a new SkyCMS website. It covers the journey from initial design through handing off to non-technical content creators, with phase-specific deep dives, checklists, and templates included.

Overview¶

Launching a new website with SkyCMS involves more than just installing the software. You need to:

Understand the architecture - How Layouts, Templates, and Pages work together
Plan the site structure - Determine page types and content organization
Build reusable foundations - Create layouts and templates for consistency
Populate initial content - Create your first pages and set up navigation
Prepare for handoff - Document workflows and train content creators
Support creators - Ensure smooth transition to non-technical team

This workflow is iterative - you may loop back to earlier phases as you discover new requirements or content types.

Who This Is For¶

Primary Audience: - Full-stack developers building custom SkyCMS sites - Frontend developers responsible for site design - Development leads overseeing SkyCMS projects

Supporting Audience: - Project managers coordinating the launch - Content strategists planning page types - Technical leads making architecture decisions

NOT for: - Content creators (see Content Creator Training Guide instead) - End-users managing the site post-launch - System administrators managing SkyCMS infrastructure

Prerequisites¶

Before starting this workflow, you should have:

✅ SkyCMS running and initialized (follow Setup Wizard first)
✅ Access to the editor interface (/Editor)
✅ Administrator account created
✅ Database and storage configured
✅ Publisher verified and working (see Post-Installation)

If you haven't completed these, start here: → Installation Overview

The 6-Phase Workflow¶

Phase 1: Design & Planning¶

Duration: 3-5 hours | Effort: Planning & Analysis

Understand the SkyCMS architecture and plan your site structure before building anything.

Deliverables: - Site structure diagram (pages, sections, content types) - Page type inventory (home, about, services, blog, etc.) - Content hierarchy and organization - Navigation structure

Key Questions: - What are the main sections of the site? - How many distinct page types do you need? - What content will be updated frequently vs. rarely? - Is this content-heavy, image-heavy, or both?

Next Steps: → Phase 1: Design & Planning Guide

Phase 2: Creating Layouts¶

Duration: 4-8 hours | Effort: Low-code Implementation

Build the site-wide structural layouts (header, footer, navigation, sidebar positions).

Deliverables: - Main layout (header, footer, nav structure) - Optional: Secondary layouts (sidebar layout, full-width layout) - Responsive design confirmed - Layout documentation for content creators

What You'll Do: - Create layouts in SkyCMS editor - Add placeholders for theme elements - Set up responsive breakpoints - Test in different browsers/devices

Key Concepts: - Layouts define the overall site structure - All pages use a layout - Layouts are shared across templates and pages - Modify layouts once, updates apply everywhere

Next Steps: → Phase 2: Creating Layouts Guide

Phase 3: Creating Templates¶

Duration: 8-16 hours | Effort: Medium Implementation

Build reusable page templates based on your identified page types.

Deliverables: - Home page template (with hero section, featured content) - Blog post template (title, date, author, content) - Service/product page template (title, description, CTA) - Documentation page template (breadcrumbs, table of contents, sidebar nav) - Additional templates as needed for your content types

What You'll Do: - Create template variations using layouts - Add reusable sections and widgets - Implement common design patterns - Test template flexibility with different content

Key Concepts: - Templates extend layouts with specific page type structure - Templates are reusable blueprints - Consistent design across all page types - Each template can have its own styling

Next Steps: → Phase 3: Creating Templates Guide

Phase 4: Building Home Page¶

Duration: 4-6 hours | Effort: Implementation + Content

Create your first live page - the home page - from your layout and template.

Deliverables: - Published home page - Navigation working and visible - Hero section with compelling messaging - Featured content/sections - Contact information or CTA visible - Meta tags for SEO

What You'll Do: - Create home page from home template - Add hero section content - Feature key content areas - Setup calls-to-action - Verify publishing works - Test visitor experience

Key Concepts: - This is your first real page - It's the entry point for your site - It needs to work on mobile and desktop - SEO setup starts here

Next Steps: → Phase 4: Building Home Page Guide

Phase 5: Building Initial Pages¶

Duration: 8-12 hours | Effort: Content + Implementation

Create the initial set of pages to launch with (about, services, key content pages).

Deliverables: - About/Company page - Contact page - 3-5 key content pages - Navigation fully populated - Breadcrumb navigation working - Internal linking established - Site hierarchy established

What You'll Do: - Create pages using appropriate templates - Add real content (or placeholder content) - Setup navigation and menus - Test page-to-page navigation - Verify all links work - Check responsive design

Key Concepts: - These pages establish site credibility - Navigation should be intuitive - Internal linking helps SEO and UX - This is when you verify templates work with real content

Next Steps: → Phase 5: Building Initial Pages Guide

Phase 6: Preparing for Handoff¶

Duration: 4-8 hours | Effort: Documentation + Training

Prepare your site and team for content creators to take over.

Deliverables: - User roles configured (Authors, Editors, Reviewers) - Content creator accounts created - Style guide for content creators - Training documentation completed - Content workflow documented - Support plan established - Pre-launch checklist completed

What You'll Do: - Create user accounts for team members - Assign appropriate roles - Write/customize training guide - Create style guide - Document common workflows - Establish support process - Final pre-launch QA

Key Concepts: - Clear roles prevent access confusion - Documentation prevents support calls - Training reduces onboarding time - Workflows create consistency

Next Steps: → Phase 6: Preparing for Handoff Guide

Learning Objectives¶

By completing this workflow, you will be able to:

Architecture Understanding¶

[ ] Explain the relationship between Layouts → Templates → Pages
[ ] Determine when to use layout changes vs. template changes vs. page customizations
[ ] Design scalable site structures that support future content types

Hands-On Skills¶

[ ] Create and modify layouts in SkyCMS
[ ] Build reusable page templates
[ ] Implement common design patterns (hero sections, CTAs, navigation)
[ ] Create pages and manage the publishing workflow
[ ] Setup navigation and content hierarchy

Best Practices¶

[ ] Apply naming conventions for organization
[ ] Design for content creator ease-of-use
[ ] Plan for maintenance and future scaling
[ ] Document decisions for team clarity

Launch Readiness¶

[ ] Prepare comprehensive checklists for launch
[ ] Train non-technical team members to update content
[ ] Establish sustainable workflows for ongoing content updates
[ ] Plan post-launch support and monitoring

Architecture Foundation¶

Before you start building, understand how SkyCMS pieces fit together:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    LAYOUT                           │
│  (Site-wide structure: header, nav, footer)        │
│                                                     │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │                                              │  │
│  │              TEMPLATE CONTENT AREA           │  │
│  │  (Defines page structure: hero, sidebar...) │  │
│  │                                              │  │
│  │  ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐   │  │
│  │  │                                      │   │  │
│  │  │     PAGE CONTENT                    │   │  │
│  │  │  (Actual content: text, images...)  │   │  │
│  │  │                                      │   │  │
│  │  └──────────────────────────────────────┘   │  │
│  │                                              │  │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Key Relationships¶

Component	Purpose	Scope	Who Changes It
Layout	Site-wide structure (header, footer, nav)	Entire site	Developer (rarely)
Template	Page type structure (e.g., blog post layout)	All pages using this template	Developer (occasionally)
Page	Actual content instance	Single page	Content creator (frequently)

Real-World Example¶

LAYOUT: "Main Layout"
├── Header (site logo, main nav) - shared by all pages
├── Footer (contact info, links) - shared by all pages
└── Main Content Area
    └── TEMPLATE: "Blog Post Template"
        ├── Title area
        ├── Author/date area
        ├── Featured image area
        └── Content area
            └── PAGE: "Why We Love SkyCMS"
                ├── Title: "Why We Love SkyCMS"
                ├── Author: "Jane Smith"
                ├── Date: "Dec 17, 2025"
                ├── Image: (blog-hero.jpg)
                └── Content: (the full blog post text)

            └── PAGE: "Getting Started with SkyCMS"
                ├── Title: "Getting Started with SkyCMS"
                ├── Author: "Bob Johnson"
                └── ... (different content, same template)

Notice: Both blog posts use the same Template and Layout, but have different content. Change the template → affects both blogs. Change a page → only affects that page.

Workflow Timeline¶

Typical Project Timeline¶

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ TOTAL PROJECT TIME: ~35-55 hours (varies by site complexity) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Week 1:
  Phase 1: Design & Planning .......... 4-5 hours (Mon-Tue)
  Phase 2: Creating Layouts ........... 6-8 hours (Tue-Wed)
  Phase 3: Creating Templates ......... 10-16 hours (Wed-Fri)

Week 2:
  Phase 4: Building Home Page ......... 4-6 hours (Mon-Tue)
  Phase 5: Building Initial Pages .... 8-12 hours (Tue-Fri)

Week 3:
  Phase 6: Preparing for Handoff ....... 4-8 hours (Mon-Wed)
  Pre-Launch Checklist & QA ........... 4-8 hours (Wed-Fri)
  Launch & Handoff ................... (Friday)

Actual timeline depends on: - Site complexity (number of page types) - Team availability - Design complexity - Content readiness - Number of pages in launch set

Decision Trees¶

Decision: Should This Be a New Template or Page Variation?¶

"I need a different layout for this page type"
         |
         v
   Is this layout used by:
   • More than one page? → Create new TEMPLATE
   • Only this one page? → Create on this PAGE as custom

Decision: Should This Be a Layout Change or Template Change?¶

"The header needs updating"
         |
         v
   Does it affect:
   • All pages on the site? → Change the LAYOUT
   • Just pages of one type? → Change the TEMPLATE
   • Just this one page? → Customize this PAGE

Decision: When to Add a New Template?¶

"Do we need a template for this content type?"
         |
         v
   Will we create:
   • Multiple pages of this type? → YES, create template
   • Just one page? → NO, customize a page
         |
         v
   Is it significantly different from existing templates?
   • Very different structure? → Create NEW template
   • Similar to existing? → Use/modify existing template

Common Pitfalls¶

❌ Pitfall 1: Mixing Content and Structure¶

Problem: Creating a "Contact Page" layout instead of a reusable template

Bad: Layout named "Contact Layout"
     └─ Specific to contact page, not reusable

Good: Template named "Contact Form Template"
      └─ Can be used for multiple contact-type pages

Solution: Separate concerns. Layouts are for site structure. Templates are for page types.

❌ Pitfall 2: Over-Engineering from the Start¶

Problem: Building 20 templates before creating any pages

Waste of time on templates you might not need

Solution: Build the minimum templates for launch, add more as needed.

❌ Pitfall 3: Not Testing with Content Creators¶

Problem: Building templates that are confusing or hard to use

"Why is this field hidden?"
"How do I add a section?"
"What's a 'featured image'?"

Solution: Have content creators test templates during Phase 5-6 and adjust based on feedback.

Problem: Building pages but no navigation structure

Readers can't find pages
Internal linking missing
SEO suffers

Solution: Plan navigation structure in Phase 1, implement in Phase 5.

❌ Pitfall 5: Launching with Incomplete Pages¶

Problem: Publishing pages with placeholder content or broken links

Unprofessional appearance
Broken links hurt SEO
Confuses visitors

Solution: Use pre-launch checklist to verify all pages before publishing.

❌ Pitfall 6: No Documentation for Content Creators¶

Problem: Handing off to content creators with no guides

"How do I create a blog post?"
"What's a template?"
"Where's my publish button?"
Constant support requests

Solution: Create training guide and style guide in Phase 6 before handoff.

Phase-Specific Guides¶

Each phase has a detailed guide with step-by-step instructions:

Phase 1: Design & Planning
Architecture overview
Site structure planning
Wireframing approach
Content type inventory
Phase 2: Creating Layouts
Layout creation walkthrough
Real examples (header, footer, nav)
Best practices
Responsive design
Phase 3: Creating Templates
Template creation workflow
Common patterns
Widget usage
Organization strategies
Phase 4: Building Home Page
Step-by-step home page creation
Hero section setup
Publishing workflow
SEO basics
Phase 5: Building Initial Pages
Content page creation
Navigation setup
Internal linking
Page hierarchy
Phase 6: Preparing for Handoff
Role setup and permissions
Content workflows
Training strategy
Launch readiness

Supporting Resources¶

Checklists¶

Pre-Launch Checklist - Final verification before launch
Content Creator Onboarding - Handoff verification
Monthly Maintenance Tasks (coming soon) - Ongoing upkeep

Templates¶

Style Guide Template - For documenting brand guidelines
Training Document Template - For training content creators
Content Workflow Template - For mapping approval processes

Next Steps¶

Ready to begin?

Start with Phase 1: Design & Planning

Already know your site structure?

Jump to Phase 2: Creating Layouts

Need to understand SkyCMS first?

Read SkyCMS Architecture Overview

Setup Wizard - Initial installation
Post-Installation - After wizard completes
Layouts Guide - In-depth layout documentation
Templates Guide - In-depth template documentation
Role-Based Access Control - Setting up user roles
Content Creator Training - Training your team

FAQ¶

Q: How long does this take? A: Typical project takes 35-55 hours of developer time over 2-3 weeks. Depends on site complexity and team availability.

Q: Can I skip any phases? A: Not really. Each phase builds on the previous. However, you can combine phases if your site is simple.

Q: What if I don't have content ready? A: Use placeholder content in phases 4-5, replace with real content later. Focus on structure first.

Q: Can I do this alone or do I need a team? A: You can do it solo as a developer, but involving content strategists and designers makes phases 1-3 faster and better.

Q: What happens after launch? A: Use Monthly Maintenance Tasks to keep the site healthy. Content creators add new pages using templates you created.

Q: How do I add new page types after launch? A: Create new templates following Phase 3 guide, then train content creators on the new template.

Ready to launch your SkyCMS website? Begin with Phase 1 → Design & Planning