Top Tricks for Collection Lists in Webflow

Are you ready to take your Webflow skills to the next level? In this tutorial, we will explore three top tricks for effectively using collection lists in Webflow. Whether you want to split CMS items into categories, create dynamic dropdowns, or hide sections based on content, we've got you covered. Let's dive right in and learn how to implement these tricks to enhance your Webflow projects.

Splitting CMS Items into Categories

One common challenge in Webflow is splitting CMS items into different categories without exceeding the 20 list per page limit. Here's how you can achieve this using only two collection lists:

1. Create a Collection for Categories: Start by creating a new collection for your categories, and add all the relevant categories.

2. Add a Reference Field: In the settings of the main items CMS, add a reference field and title it "choose a category." Link it to the categories collection and assign a category to each item.

3. Add a Collection List: Place a collection list on the page and link it to the categories collection. Give it a specific class.

4. Set Up the Structure: Inside the collection list, add a heading for the category name and a div for the list. Assign specific classes to these elements.

5. Add Another Collection List: Below the first one, add another collection list and set its source to the main items. Assign classes to the wrapper, list, and item.

6. Customize the Design: Paste your card design inside the item and adjust the display settings for the list.

By following these steps, you can effectively split CMS items into categories using only two collection lists.

Splitting CMS Nav Links into Dropdowns

Next, let's explore how to split CMS nav links into dropdowns using just one collection list:

1. Create a Collection for Sub Links: Create a collection for sub-links, which will be CMS links to CMS pages. Add a reference field and link it to the page collection.

2. Add a Collection List onto the Page: Place a collection list on the page and set its source to the nav links collection. Assign classes to the wrapper, list, and item.

3. Customize the Design: Paste the links inside the item and modify the settings for displaying the sub-links.

4. Set Sorting Order: Add a sorting order based on the number field in the CMS to control the order of the links.

By following these steps, you can effectively create dynamic dropdowns for your CMS nav links using only one collection list.

Automatically Hiding Event Sections

In some cases, you may want to hide an entire event section when the events have ended. Here's how you can achieve this by adding a date field to your CMS:

1. Add Date Fields: Add start and end date fields to the CMS for your events, and make them required.

2. Limit Items and Apply Sort Order: Limit the collection list to show only a certain number of items at a time and apply a sort order based on the start date.

3. Apply a Filter: Apply a filter to the end date to only display events occurring in the future.

By implementing these steps, you can ensure that the event section is automatically hidden when there are no upcoming events.

Styling Collection Items Based on Drop-Down Selections

Lastly, let's explore how to style collection items based on a drop-down field in the CMS:

1. Add an Option Field: Add an option field to your collection and let the client select the preferred style for each item.

2. Create Dynamic Styling: Use dynamic fields to apply specific styles based on the client's selection, without the need for conditional visibility.

By following these steps, you can provide the client with the flexibility to select and apply styles to collection items without complex conditional visibility setups.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we've covered top tricks for effectively using collection lists in Webflow. By following these guidelines, you can enhance your projects by organizing content, creating dynamic dropdowns, managing event sections, and providing styling options for collection items. Are you ready to implement these tricks in your Webflow projects? Start experimenting with these techniques and unlock the full potential of Webflow for dynamic content management.