Building a Dynamic CMS Slider with Webflow

Are you ready to learn how to create a dynamic slider using Webflow? In this tutorial, we will cover every step to build a Webflow CMS dynamic slider. By following along with the step-by-step instructions, you will gain the necessary skills to create a visually appealing and functional dynamic slider for your website. Let’s jump in and see how it works!

Step 1: Setting Up the CMS

First, you need to set up a Webflow build. We'll assume you’ve already done this and are ready to proceed with building the dynamic slider.

1.1 Creating a CMS Collection:

• Navigate to your Webflow dashboard and create a new collection. For this tutorial, let's call it “My Awesome Collection”.
• Add fields to the collection, such as a description, image, and a link.
• Populate the collection with at least 20 items to have sufficient data for the slider.

Step 2: Designing the Structure

Now, let’s start designing the structure for the dynamic slider.

2.1 Adding Sections for Structure:

• In the Webflow Designer panel, add a div and name it “FS Section”.
• Set top and bottom padding to 100 and left and right padding to 50 to create spacing.

2.2 Creating the Slider Structure:

• Inside the section, add another div named “FS Content” with a width of 100% and a maximum width in pixels. Center it on the page.

2.3 Adding Slider Components:

• In the components section, add a Webflow slider. Name the slider, slider mask, and slides with the prefix “FS” to avoid naming conflicts.

Step 3: Making the Slider Dynamic

3.1 Creating Dynamic Collection List:

• Inside the first slide, add a Collection List and set the source to the “My Awesome Collection” you created earlier.
• Name the collection list and its wrapper, list, and items using the prefix “FS”.

3.2 Creating Dynamic Slide Content:

• Add a div block inside the collection list’s wrapper and name it “FS Slide Content”.
• Set its width and height to 100% to cover the entire slide.
• Add elements like an image, heading, paragraph, and a link block, and style them as needed.
• Connect these elements to the dynamic fields from the CMS collection.

3.3 Repeating the Process:

• For additional slides, copy the initial slide’s structure and customize the content for each new slide.

Step 4: Generating the JavaScript for Dynamic Slides

4.1 Setting Up a Master List:

• Copy the collection list and place it anywhere on the page, naming it “FS Dynamic Feed” and setting it to display all items and be hidden.

4.2 Using Visual Scriptwriter:

• Go to visualscript.webflow.io and open the components tab.
• Enter the classes “FS Dynamic Feed” as the CMS list and “FS Slider” as the slider class.
• Obtain the generated JavaScript code for the dynamic slider.

4.3 Applying the JavaScript:

• Paste the obtained JavaScript code into the page settings of your Webflow project.

Step 5: Testing and Publishing

5.1 Reviewing Functionality:

• Before pasting the JavaScript code, preview your work to ensure everything looks correct and aligns with your expectations.

5.2 Publishing the Slider:

• After testing, publish your site with the added script.
• Verify that your dynamic slider functions as intended with all the slides dynamically populated from the CMS collection.

Congratulations! You have successfully built a dynamic CMS slider using Webflow without writing a single line of code. If you encounter any challenges, remember that practice makes perfect. With some persistence and experimentation, you’ll master the art of creating dynamic sliders in no time.

By following this comprehensive tutorial, you have learned how to leverage the power of Webflow to create a visually appealing and functional dynamic slider for your website.

Remember, this walkthrough is tailored for beginners and intermediate level users, and we encourage you to experiment and explore further possibilities in Webflow to enhance your web design skills.

For additional support and guidance, you can also seek help from the Finnsuite community through their Slack channel or visit suitejs.io for valuable resources and assistance. Enjoy building your dynamic slider with Webflow!