Content management system (CMS)

A content management system (CMS) is software used to create, organize, and publish website content.

Format
Web & Development
Updated
Updated
Glossary Web & Development
Content management system Also known as CMS.Aliases: website CMS.

Definition

A content management system (CMS) is software used to create, organize, and publish website content.

How it works

A CMS lets people publish and edit a site without touching the underlying code. Content lives in a database, and the CMS combines it with themes and templates to build the pages visitors see — which is why editors, designers, and developers can each work on their own layer without stepping on each other.

Example: WordPress is a CMS that lets editors publish pages and posts through an administration interface.

Often confused: The CMS manages your content; web hosting provides the environment the CMS runs in.

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Sources

Last reviewed 2026-07-19.