Building a Customizable CMS Grid in Webflow

In this tutorial, we will learn how to create a CMS grid in Webflow, where the size of each item can be easily set from a collection field. This will allow us to have control over the layout and appearance of our grid without the need for complex coding. We will also explore how to handle different breakpoints to ensure our grid is responsive across various devices.

Setting Up the Collection List

To get started, let's select our collection list and set it to display as a grid. By setting it to display as a grid, we can easily manage the layout and arrangement of our items within the collection list.

Step 1: Configure the Grid Settings

First, we'll configure the grid settings. Add an extra column so that we have three columns, and then delete a row. This will help us achieve the desired layout for our grid. Additionally, we can set the gap between the items to 1M for some spacing between the grid items.

Mobile Landscape Configuration

Next, we need to make adjustments for the mobile landscape view. We'll open our grid settings and delete two of the columns so that we only have one column for this breakpoint. This way, we can ensure that the grid layout is optimized for the mobile landscape view.

Adding Customizable Item Sizes

Now, we want to make the size of each item customizable based on the values provided in a collection field. We'll achieve this by adding a field in the collection settings called "item style" using an option field. We'll create options for "wide," "tall," and a default style for the items. This will allow us to control the size of each item based on these options.

Assigning Values to Items

Once we have set up the options, we can proceed to assign these values to the items within the collection. We'll select the items and assign them values based on the options we created, such as "wide," "tall," or leaving them with no specific value to default to the default style.

Accessing Item Values for Custom Styling

Creating Data Attributes

We'll need to access these values for each collection item to apply custom styling based on the assigned values. To do this, we'll create a data attribute named "item-style" and pull the value from our option field. This will allow us to retrieve the assigned item style for each item in the collection.

Custom Styling Based on Item Values

Next, we'll select the container and drop a div inside it. We'll give this div the class of our collection list and then insert an empty div inside of it. This empty div will serve as the basis for applying custom styling based on the assigned item values.

Applying Custom CSS

We'll create copies of this empty div and customize their styling based on the assigned item values. For example, we may have one div that spans two columns and another that spans two rows, depending on the assigned values. To achieve this, we'll use the Webflow CSS Preview feature to generate the necessary CSS code, copy it to the clipboard, and then paste it into our HTML embed.

Handling Empty Spaces and Layout Reflow

After customizing the items, we may encounter empty spaces within the grid layout, especially when dealing with wider or taller items. To address this, we can utilize the "dense" option within the grid settings. Enabling the "dense" option will rearrange the items within the grid to fill up any empty spaces and ensure there are no gaps in the layout. This dynamic reflow of the items will help maintain a visually appealing and organized grid layout.

Media Queries for Responsive Design

To ensure that our grid remains responsive across different device breakpoints, we can use media queries to apply specific customizations for different screen sizes. For example, we can use a media query that targets screen sizes of 768 pixels and above to apply specific layout adjustments. This allows us to tailor the grid layout to each breakpoint, ensuring optimal display and usability across various devices.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have learned how to create a customizable CMS grid in Webflow, allowing us to set the size of each item based on values from a collection field. By leveraging the grid settings, custom data attributes, and media queries, we can achieve a visually appealing and responsive grid layout without the need for extensive coding. This versatile approach to building grids in Webflow provides designers and developers with the flexibility to create dynamic and customizable layouts for websites and applications.