Defining Page Types

Set up page types to control structure, available blocks, and editor guardrails.

Page types are the blueprints that define what kind of pages can exist in your site. They control which blocks editors can use, what page-level fields are available, and what constraints apply. This guide covers everything you need to know about defining effective page types.

What Are Page Types?

Page types are templates that define:

• Available blocks - Which blocks editors can add to pages
• Required blocks - Blocks that must appear on every page
• Page fields - Metadata like title, description, publish date
• Constraints - What editors can and cannot modify
• URL structure - How pages of this type are accessed

Think of page types as guardrails. They give editors freedom to create content while ensuring designs stay intact and structure remains consistent.

Creating a Page Type

1. Navigate to page types

   In your site dashboard, click “Page Types” in the sidebar, then “Create Page Type”.

2. Set basic information

   Configure:

   • Name: Display name (e.g., “Blog Post”, “Default”)
   • Description: Internal description for your reference
   • Slug: URL identifier (e.g., “blog-post”, “default”)

   The slug determines the URL structure. A page of type “blog-post” will be accessible at /blog-post/[page-slug] by default.

3. Configure available blocks

   Select which blocks from your component library can be used on pages of this type.

   Only blocks you’ve created in your component library will appear here. Create blocks first, then add them to page types.

4. Set required blocks (optional)

   Mark certain blocks as required if they must appear on every page of this type.

5. Add page fields

   Define page-level fields that apply to all pages of this type:

   • SEO fields (meta title, description)
   • Publishing fields (publish date, author)
   • Custom metadata (category, tags, featured image)

   Page fields are separate from block fields. They apply to the entire page, not individual blocks.

6. Save the page type

   Click “Create” to save your page type. It’s now available for editors to use when creating pages.

Common Page Type Patterns

Blog Post

A typical blog post page type:

Available Blocks:

• Text (for article content)
• Image (for illustrations)
• Code Block (for code examples)
• Quote (for pull quotes)

Page Fields:

• title (Text, required) - Post title
• author (Text) - Author name
• publish_date (Date) - Publication date
• category (Select) - Post category
• tags (Tags) - Post tags
• featured_image (Image) - Featured image
• excerpt (Text) - Short description
• meta_title (Text) - SEO title
• meta_description (Text) - SEO description

Required Blocks:

• None (flexibility for different post layouts)

Product Page

An e-commerce product page:

Available Blocks:

• Hero (with product image)
• Text (for description)
• Image Gallery
• Specifications
• Reviews
• Related Products

Page Fields:

• title (Text, required) - Product name
• price (Number) - Product price
• sku (Text) - SKU code
• in_stock (Boolean) - Stock status
• category (Select) - Product category
• featured_image (Image) - Main product image
• meta_title (Text) - SEO title
• meta_description (Text) - SEO description

Required Blocks:

• Hero (must have product image)

Page Fields

Page fields are metadata that applies to the entire page, not individual blocks. Common uses:

SEO Fields

Every page type should include SEO fields:

• meta_title (Text) - Page title for search engines
• meta_description (Text) - Page description for search results
• og_image (Image, optional) - Social sharing image

Publishing Fields

For content with publication workflows:

• publish_date (Date) - When the page was/will be published
• author (Text) - Content author
• last_updated (Date, auto) - Last modification date

Taxonomy Fields

For organizing content:

• category (Select) - Single category
• tags (Tags) - Multiple tags
• topic (Select) - Topic classification

Custom Metadata

Any additional data you need:

• featured (Boolean) - Whether to feature this page
• priority (Number) - Display priority
• external_url (Text) - Link to external resource

A “Team Member” page type might have fields for: name, role, bio, email, social links, and profile photo. These are page-level because they describe the person, not individual blocks on the page.

Available Blocks

Choosing Which Blocks to Include

Consider what editors need:

• Too few blocks: Editors feel constrained, can’t create varied content
• Too many blocks: Overwhelming, harder to find the right block
• Just right: Enough variety for flexibility, but not overwhelming

Start with essential blocks, then add more as needed. You can always edit page types later to add or remove blocks.

Rule of thumb: 5-10 blocks per page type is usually optimal. More than 15 blocks can be overwhelming for editors.

Block Organization

Group related blocks in your component library to make selection easier:

• Content blocks: Text, Image, Video, Code
• Layout blocks: Card Grid, Columns, Container
• Interactive blocks: Form, Button, CTA
• Specialized blocks: Testimonials, Pricing, FAQ

Required Blocks

Required blocks must appear on every page of a given type. Use them sparingly:

Good use cases:

• Header block that must appear at the top
• Footer block that must appear at the bottom
• Navigation block for specific page types

Avoid requiring:

• Content blocks (editors need flexibility)
• Multiple blocks (too restrictive)

Required blocks can’t be removed by editors. Only mark blocks as required if they’re truly essential for every page of that type.

Best practice: Start with no required blocks. Add them only if you discover editors consistently need the same block on every page. Flexibility is usually better than constraints.

URL Structure

Page types influence URL structure:

Default Behavior

By default, pages follow this pattern:

/[page-type-slug]/[page-slug]

A page of type “blog-post” with slug “my-first-post” would be accessible at /blog-post/my-first-post.

Custom URL Patterns

You can configure custom URL patterns in page type settings:

• Prefix: Add a prefix to all pages of this type
• Suffix: Add a suffix to all pages
• Custom pattern: Define your own URL structure

URL patterns are configured at the site level, but page types can have their own defaults.

Page Type Settings

Publishing Workflow

Configure how pages of this type are published:

• Draft mode: Pages start as drafts
• Auto-publish: Pages publish immediately when saved
• Scheduled publishing: Allow scheduling future publication

Editor Permissions

Control what editors can do:

• Can duplicate pages: Allow editors to clone pages
• Can delete pages: Allow editors to remove pages
• Can change page type: Allow switching between types

Be careful with editor permissions. Restricting certain actions helps maintain site structure and prevents accidental deletions.

Best Practices

1. Start Simple

Begin with essential blocks and fields. You can always add more later:

Simple Blog Post:
  Blocks: Text, Image
  Fields: title, author, publish_date

2. Use Descriptive Names

Clear names help editors understand what each page type is for:

• ✅ “Blog Post”
• ✅ “Default”
• ✅ “Team Member Profile”
• ❌ “Type 1”
• ❌ “Generic”

3. Document Your Page Types

Add descriptions that explain when to use each type:

Blog Post: For articles, news, and blog content. Includes author, publish date, and category fields.

4. Plan for Growth

Consider how page types might evolve:

• Will you need more fields later?
• Will editors need additional blocks?
• Are there related page types you’ll create?

5. Test with Editors

Get feedback from content editors:

• Are the available blocks sufficient?
• Are page fields clear and useful?
• Is anything missing or confusing?

Advanced Patterns

Conditional Blocks

Some page types benefit from conditional block availability:

A “Product” page type might show different blocks based on product category. While Pala doesn’t support conditional blocks directly, you can create separate page types for different product categories.

Nested Page Types

Create page types that reference other page types:

A “Category” page type might include a block that displays pages of type “Blog Post” filtered by category.

Editing Page Types

You can edit page types after creation:

1. Open page type editor

   Go to Page Types → Select the page type you want to edit.

2. Make changes

   Update:

   • Available blocks (add or remove)
   • Required blocks
   • Page fields
   • Settings
3. Save changes

   Click “Save” to update the page type.

   Changes to page types affect all existing pages of that type. Removing a required block or field may cause issues with existing pages.

Next Steps

Working with Fields

Learn about all available field types for pages and blocks.

Setting Up for Editors

Configure page types to make editing easy for non-technical users.

Using the Editor

See how editors use page types to create content.

Your First Site

See page types in action with a complete example.

The best page types balance structure with flexibility. Give editors enough options to be creative, but enough constraints to maintain design consistency.