Craft CMS 5: Revolutionizing content modeling with decoupled entry types

I recently tackled a project with Craft CMS 5 that showcases its significant advancements in content modeling flexibility and wanted to share a slice of my excitement with you all. 😅 These updates bring a host of game-changing benefits compared to previous versions.

In the past, implementing globally reusable content across various page or entry types presented a tedious challenge. Each type required its own block field to access the reusable content, and any updates to these blocks had to be manually replicated across each instance. This approach was far from efficient.

Enter Craft 5. The introduction of decoupled entry types means that we can now design an entry type once and use it universally across different sections and matrix fields (not just once within one section).

For example, a title or heading field can be set to display and be required only in certain contexts where it's relevant, thus eliminating unnecessary duplication in scenarios where a title field in a matrix block might be superfluous.

For reusable content, I no longer need to create and manage unique block field instances. Now, I can create one entry type and add it as a unique row block option in our main content builder field. This row features a simple entry field that links directly to the reusable content channel.

This capability, combined with the strategic use of field conditionals, dramatically enhances the content management experience, speeds up the development time, and significantly reduces our maintenance burden.

Pretty great stuff if you ask me.