Page templates

Before you populate your page with content, you create the layout that defines how and where content is positioned and displayed on pages. For example, you allocate space for the navigation, the header, and the content blocks. To do this, you use predefined or customized page templates, which you can modify further, if needed. By setting and applying the page template, you basically define the appearance and style of an individual page or all pages.

To see and manage the list of all templates that your website pages are based on, navigate to Design » Page templates.

As of Sitefinity CMS version 14.1, you can work with 2 types of page templates, depending on the technology you use and the widgets you place on pages. The mode you use depends on your development process as well as the functionality you want to implement.

The following sections summarize when and how you use the available types of page templates.

Pure MVC

In pure MVC mode, you directly control the markup of templates. You work with Razor layout files and leverage the set of grid widgets, provided by the resource package, which help you customize your layout by dropping them on your pages. Once you need to modify and style your MVC page templates, you do it in the resource package since it groups and organizes all your resources, templates, front-end assets, CSS files, and so on. Responsive design is provided by the CSS framework, used in the Bootstrap package, shipped with Sitefinity CMS out-of-the-box.

• Resource packages
• Base existing page templates on layout files
• Add customizable grid widgets

.NET Core

You can create .NET Core templates using the standard Sitefinity CMS UI, but you can only use them if you have setup Sitefinity .NET Core Renderer.

You can create .NET Core templates in two ways:

• Using the Sitefinity CMS backend UI and the Templates grid.
• Programmatically, using layout files.
  For more information, see Develop with .NET Core » Layout files.

You create and manage .NET Core templates in the Templates grid, just like the MVC page templates in Sitefinity CMS backend UI.

For more information, see .NET Core pages and templates.