Getting Ready to Get Ready

WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:10.600
You know that moment when someone says, don't worry, we'll figure it out as we go?

2
00:00:10.600 --> 00:00:14.880
Yeah, that's usually how projects go sideways.

3
00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:18.960
And when it comes to implementing content stack, that kind of thinking can cost you

4
00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:22.600
time, money, and credibility.

5
00:00:22.600 --> 00:00:27.840
That's why we're going to take a moment and talk about something we call getting ready

6
00:00:27.840 --> 00:00:29.360
to get ready.

7
00:00:29.360 --> 00:00:36.800
Now I get it, pre-project planning isn't exactly a thrilling sounding proposition.

8
00:00:36.800 --> 00:00:43.680
But if you get this part right, everything else, your content modeling, your design system,

9
00:00:43.680 --> 00:00:50.400
your integrations, they all move faster, cleaner, and with a lot less stress.

10
00:00:50.400 --> 00:00:57.520
This is the stuff that separates the projects that fly from the ones that stall.

11
00:00:57.520 --> 00:01:02.880
We're going to focus on a planning framework built around six key areas.

12
00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:10.560
Now, before I dig in, use the downloadable worksheet to make sure you and your stakeholders

13
00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:17.440
are aligned on what's happening, what's expected, and what's still a question mark.

14
00:01:17.440 --> 00:01:21.400
Let's walk through each of those six areas.

15
00:01:21.400 --> 00:01:24.720
First up, project scope and assumptions.

16
00:01:24.720 --> 00:01:26.680
This is your reality check.

17
00:01:26.840 --> 00:01:31.880
Ask yourself, have we actually locked in the project scope?

18
00:01:31.880 --> 00:01:37.880
Or are there still big unknowns floating around, like who's handling content migration,

19
00:01:37.880 --> 00:01:43.240
or whether you're redesigning or doing a lift and shift?

20
00:01:43.240 --> 00:01:47.080
This section forces you to get those answers.

21
00:01:47.080 --> 00:01:53.240
It also assumes you've already completed the initiation and discovery phases of your

22
00:01:53.240 --> 00:01:55.000
broader web project.

23
00:01:55.000 --> 00:02:02.760
So you should have alignment on things like budget, goals, and stakeholder roles.

24
00:02:02.760 --> 00:02:09.320
But if you haven't, this is where you start asking questions like, do we have a clear

25
00:02:09.320 --> 00:02:10.320
scope?

26
00:02:10.320 --> 00:02:13.960
Have we documented the project risks?

27
00:02:13.960 --> 00:02:18.760
Are we making any assumptions that could come back to bite us?

28
00:02:18.760 --> 00:02:20.880
Next is the roles matrix.

29
00:02:20.880 --> 00:02:26.520
And here's the truth, most project failures don't come from bad tools, they come from

30
00:02:26.520 --> 00:02:28.420
missing people.

31
00:02:28.420 --> 00:02:34.360
This worksheet lists every role you need for a successful implementation.

32
00:02:34.360 --> 00:02:41.360
Not just your front-end developers or project managers, but also your content strategists,

33
00:02:41.360 --> 00:02:48.320
your business analysts, your QA lead, your DevOps engineer, and yes, even your change

34
00:02:48.320 --> 00:02:50.640
management specialist.

35
00:02:50.640 --> 00:02:56.520
You'll document who's doing what, what gaps still exist, and where you might need

36
00:02:56.520 --> 00:02:58.240
outside help.

37
00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:04.080
It's also where you'll define executive sponsorship and whether they're truly engaged

38
00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:07.520
or just attending the kickoff call.

39
00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:10.200
Then we dig into budgeting and scheduling.

40
00:03:10.200 --> 00:03:16.480
You'll capture not just the obvious stuff, but often overlooked line items like UI design

41
00:03:16.480 --> 00:03:22.640
work, hosting, licensing, legal updates, and third-party integrations.

42
00:03:22.640 --> 00:03:29.480
The timeline worksheet helps you account for PTO, approval cycles, and real-world constraints

43
00:03:29.480 --> 00:03:37.480
like marketing launches or holiday blackouts, so your schedule stays realistic, not idealistic.

44
00:03:37.480 --> 00:03:41.400
Next, website goals and feature planning.

45
00:03:41.400 --> 00:03:46.960
If your goal is to improve authoring workflows, or increase conversions, or boost self-sufficiency,

46
00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:49.360
great.

47
00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:53.440
But have you actually prioritized what features deliver on that?

48
00:03:53.440 --> 00:04:00.720
Here's where you'll define your MVP, what launches in phase one, what gets descoped

49
00:04:00.720 --> 00:04:02.080
for later.

50
00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:07.200
This helps you build momentum and avoid overbuilding up front.

51
00:04:07.200 --> 00:04:11.380
Then we get into branding and design readiness.

52
00:04:11.380 --> 00:04:16.460
Even if you're not doing a full redesign, your team needs a consistent style guide,

53
00:04:16.460 --> 00:04:20.900
brand assets, and clear UI-UX ownership.

54
00:04:20.900 --> 00:04:26.860
You'll also do a competitive review, looking at what others in your space are doing well

55
00:04:26.860 --> 00:04:33.700
and not so well, and identify inspiration to guide your own experience.

56
00:04:33.700 --> 00:04:40.460
From here, you'll inventory your media assets, audit your current content, and evaluate what

57
00:04:40.540 --> 00:04:44.820
needs to be rewritten, migrated, or retired.

58
00:04:44.820 --> 00:04:48.700
And finally, your technical setup and measurement planning.

59
00:04:48.700 --> 00:04:53.660
Here, you'll define your current and future state architecture.

60
00:04:53.660 --> 00:04:55.980
What integrations are in play?

61
00:04:55.980 --> 00:04:58.660
What hosting environment are you using?

62
00:04:58.660 --> 00:05:04.940
Have you planned for SEO, compliance, performance optimization, and analytics?

63
00:05:04.940 --> 00:05:11.660
You'll capture your required KPIs, identify tooling like Google Tag Manager or Hotjar,

64
00:05:11.660 --> 00:05:16.820
and make sure you're ready to track success right from launch day.

65
00:05:16.820 --> 00:05:24.560
Oh, and if you're dealing with compliance or accessibility standards like CPPA or GDPR,

66
00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:27.660
this is where you flag them and assign ownership.

67
00:05:27.660 --> 00:05:32.220
So yeah, it's a worksheet, but it's also your first deliverable.

68
00:05:32.220 --> 00:05:37.360
It sparks the conversations most teams skip and later regret.

69
00:05:37.360 --> 00:05:44.700
The truth is, most teams are in a rush to get started, but trust me, this is the start.

70
00:05:44.700 --> 00:05:49.980
Getting aligned on scope, roles, goals, and gaps isn't extra work.

71
00:05:49.980 --> 00:05:54.180
It's the work that prevents panic later when someone asks,

72
00:05:54.180 --> 00:05:57.660
Wait, who is supposed to handle that?

73
00:05:57.660 --> 00:06:04.540
So use the worksheet, fill them out, share them, and most importantly, use them to get

74
00:06:04.540 --> 00:06:06.820
everyone on the same page.

75
00:06:06.820 --> 00:06:12.220
Let's set your team up to win before the real work even begins.



You know that moment when someone says, don't worry, we'll figure it out as we go? Yeah, that's usually how projects go sideways. And when it comes to implementing content stack, that kind of thinking can cost you time, money, and credibility. That's why we're going to take a moment and talk about something we call getting ready to get ready. Now I get it, pre-project planning isn't exactly a thrilling sounding proposition. But if you get this part right, everything else, your content modeling, your design system, your integrations, they all move faster, cleaner, and with a lot less stress. This is the stuff that separates the projects that fly from the ones that stall. We're going to focus on a planning framework built around six key areas. Now, before I dig in, use the downloadable worksheet to make sure you and your stakeholders are aligned on what's happening, what's expected, and what's still a question mark. Let's walk through each of those six areas. First up, project scope and assumptions. This is your reality check. Ask yourself, have we actually locked in the project scope? Or are there still big unknowns floating around, like who's handling content migration, or whether you're redesigning or doing a lift and shift? This section forces you to get those answers. It also assumes you've already completed the initiation and discovery phases of your broader web project. So you should have alignment on things like budget, goals, and stakeholder roles. But if you haven't, this is where you start asking questions like, do we have a clear scope? Have we documented the project risks? Are we making any assumptions that could come back to bite us? Next is the roles matrix. And here's the truth, most project failures don't come from bad tools, they come from missing people. This worksheet lists every role you need for a successful implementation. Not just your front-end developers or project managers, but also your content strategists, your business analysts, your QA lead, your DevOps engineer, and yes, even your change management specialist. You'll document who's doing what, what gaps still exist, and where you might need outside help. It's also where you'll define executive sponsorship and whether they're truly engaged or just attending the kickoff call. Then we dig into budgeting and scheduling. You'll capture not just the obvious stuff, but often overlooked line items like UI design work, hosting, licensing, legal updates, and third-party integrations. The timeline worksheet helps you account for PTO, approval cycles, and real-world constraints like marketing launches or holiday blackouts, so your schedule stays realistic, not idealistic. Next, website goals and feature planning. If your goal is to improve authoring workflows, or increase conversions, or boost self-sufficiency, great. But have you actually prioritized what features deliver on that? Here's where you'll define your MVP, what launches in phase one, what gets descoped for later. This helps you build momentum and avoid overbuilding up front. Then we get into branding and design readiness. Even if you're not doing a full redesign, your team needs a consistent style guide, brand assets, and clear UI-UX ownership. You'll also do a competitive review, looking at what others in your space are doing well and not so well, and identify inspiration to guide your own experience. From here, you'll inventory your media assets, audit your current content, and evaluate what needs to be rewritten, migrated, or retired. And finally, your technical setup and measurement planning. Here, you'll define your current and future state architecture. What integrations are in play? What hosting environment are you using? Have you planned for SEO, compliance, performance optimization, and analytics? You'll capture your required KPIs, identify tooling like Google Tag Manager or Hotjar, and make sure you're ready to track success right from launch day. Oh, and if you're dealing with compliance or accessibility standards like CPPA or GDPR, this is where you flag them and assign ownership. So yeah, it's a worksheet, but it's also your first deliverable. It sparks the conversations most teams skip and later regret. The truth is, most teams are in a rush to get started, but trust me, this is the start. Getting aligned on scope, roles, goals, and gaps isn't extra work. It's the work that prevents panic later when someone asks, Wait, who is supposed to handle that? So use the worksheet, fill them out, share them, and most importantly, use them to get everyone on the same page. Let's set your team up to win before the real work even begins.

01 Getting Ready To Get Ready

Design

WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:11.540
If the first clip was about alignment, this one is about architecture, creative, technical,

2
00:00:11.540 --> 00:00:13.460
and organizational.

3
00:00:13.460 --> 00:00:19.200
Here we'll talk about design, where your project starts to take shape.

4
00:00:19.200 --> 00:00:22.460
Now don't let the word design fool you.

5
00:00:22.460 --> 00:00:28.240
This isn't just about how things look, it's about how they work, how content is structured,

6
00:00:28.240 --> 00:00:34.560
what it does, what connects to what, and how your users will experience it all.

7
00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:41.580
This phase is a mix of strategy, user experience, technical architecture, and let's be honest,

8
00:00:41.580 --> 00:00:44.540
a little bit of healthy chaos.

9
00:00:44.540 --> 00:00:50.140
Teams work in parallel, ideas evolve, and the best results come from iterating fast

10
00:00:50.140 --> 00:00:51.940
and fixing early.

11
00:00:51.940 --> 00:00:53.380
So let's break it down.

12
00:00:53.380 --> 00:00:57.180
There are six core focus areas in the design phase.

13
00:00:57.180 --> 00:01:00.940
First, requirements gathering and analysis.

14
00:01:00.940 --> 00:01:06.500
Before you sketch a wireframe or define a content type, you need to create a crystal

15
00:01:06.500 --> 00:01:09.460
clear requirements document.

16
00:01:09.460 --> 00:01:15.260
That means sitting down with stakeholders, using tools like the five whys, and analyzing

17
00:01:15.260 --> 00:01:21.220
what content types, metadata, and workflows already exist.

18
00:01:21.220 --> 00:01:27.500
You'll also look at your current CMS integrations, content permissions, and localization strategy,

19
00:01:27.500 --> 00:01:31.820
like whether you're managing content centrally or regionally.

20
00:01:31.820 --> 00:01:33.940
This work defines the playing field.

21
00:01:33.940 --> 00:01:40.220
It helps surface edge cases, the technical constraints, and the content quirks you'll

22
00:01:40.220 --> 00:01:42.520
need to design around.

23
00:01:42.520 --> 00:01:46.980
Next is user roles, workflows, and publishing rules.

24
00:01:46.980 --> 00:01:50.660
Basically, who does what and when.

25
00:01:50.660 --> 00:01:56.420
You'll define user roles in content stack, editor, contributor, administrator, and the

26
00:01:56.420 --> 00:01:58.300
workflows they follow.

27
00:01:58.300 --> 00:02:01.860
Who creates, who approves, and who publishes.

28
00:02:01.860 --> 00:02:07.260
This section forces you to document it all, not just roles and permissions, but publishing

29
00:02:07.260 --> 00:02:12.060
rules, automation triggers, and content expiration policies.

30
00:02:12.060 --> 00:02:17.700
Think of it as designing the editorial engine behind your CMS.

31
00:02:17.700 --> 00:02:23.020
You want clarity now, not confusion when deadlines hit.

32
00:02:23.020 --> 00:02:26.260
Now we get into the technical bones of the project.

33
00:02:26.260 --> 00:02:29.940
The technical, architecture, and system design.

34
00:02:29.940 --> 00:02:36.020
You'll lock in your stack, identify integration points, and define your data flows.

35
00:02:36.020 --> 00:02:43.140
This includes connecting to things like marketing platforms, product catalogs, CDPs, DAMs, and

36
00:02:43.140 --> 00:02:45.540
translation services.

37
00:02:45.540 --> 00:02:50.020
Whether you're doing a lift and shift or a full redesign, you'll need to create an

38
00:02:50.020 --> 00:02:56.740
architecture diagram of your future state and make sure everything – content, APIs,

39
00:02:56.740 --> 00:02:59.780
the front end – all plays well together.

40
00:02:59.780 --> 00:03:04.020
Security, compliance, and continuous integration.

41
00:03:04.020 --> 00:03:05.700
Continuous delivery pipelines.

42
00:03:05.700 --> 00:03:09.260
This is where it all gets scoped and validated.

43
00:03:09.260 --> 00:03:13.100
Next, content modeling and UX design.

44
00:03:13.100 --> 00:03:17.940
This is where your content structure and user experience come together.

45
00:03:17.940 --> 00:03:24.140
You'll define your content types, global fields, modular blocks, metadata, and taxonomy.

46
00:03:24.140 --> 00:03:27.260
It's not just about building what you have.

47
00:03:27.260 --> 00:03:35.380
It's about planning for what you might need later and ensure maximum reusability as well.

48
00:03:35.380 --> 00:03:40.620
You'll align your content model with your wireframes and develop your design system

49
00:03:40.780 --> 00:03:45.780
from UI patterns to instructional text for editors.

50
00:03:45.780 --> 00:03:49.460
Don't forget accessibility, branding, and reusability.

51
00:03:49.460 --> 00:03:54.920
And yes, personalization can be part of this phase too, if it's in scope.

52
00:03:54.920 --> 00:03:59.700
If you're migrating from another CMS, this is where things get real.

53
00:03:59.700 --> 00:04:05.460
You'll assess the current system, inventory, your content types, and map that data into

54
00:04:05.460 --> 00:04:07.860
your new content stack model.

55
00:04:07.860 --> 00:04:14.060
This is where the ETL process kicks in – extract, transform, and load.

56
00:04:14.060 --> 00:04:21.140
You'll document how to handle parent-child relationships, taxonomy, assets, and metadata,

57
00:04:21.140 --> 00:04:26.700
and decide when to freeze content for a clean transition.

58
00:04:26.700 --> 00:04:29.620
Migration is often underestimated.

59
00:04:29.620 --> 00:04:33.500
Start planning it now before timelines get tight.

60
00:04:33.500 --> 00:04:36.840
Now, the Content Stack Migration tool.

61
00:04:36.840 --> 00:04:42.340
This helps users migrate content from a legacy CMS into Content Stack.

62
00:04:42.340 --> 00:04:48.600
It streamlines the process with an intuitive interface and a step-by-step workflow for

63
00:04:48.600 --> 00:04:55.000
importing content, mapping content types, and transferring data into a stack.

64
00:04:55.000 --> 00:05:00.920
Behind the scenes, it handles the heavy lifting of extract, transform, and load, standardizing

65
00:05:00.920 --> 00:05:08.660
data into Content Stack-friendly JSON, validating relationships, and catching errors early.

66
00:05:08.660 --> 00:05:15.000
But as smooth as this tool makes the process, success still depends on what you bring into

67
00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:16.200
it.

68
00:05:16.200 --> 00:05:20.200
Migration isn't just technical, it's editorial, it's procedural.

69
00:05:20.200 --> 00:05:26.040
On one project, a client insisted on skipping the content spring cleaning step.

70
00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:29.240
They wanted to move everything over as-is.

71
00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:33.640
Outdated articles, duplicate assets, broken links, all of it.

72
00:05:33.640 --> 00:05:39.300
Halfway through, their content creators couldn't find the right versions of pages, workflows

73
00:05:39.300 --> 00:05:43.800
broke, and their search results were full of junk.

74
00:05:43.800 --> 00:05:48.600
We had to pause, roll back, and redo weeks of work.

75
00:05:48.600 --> 00:05:55.760
Compare that to another client who invested time upfront in pruning and normalizing content.

76
00:05:55.760 --> 00:06:00.480
They built a project plan to track every migration step.

77
00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:08.100
They kept a manual feedback plan in case automation failed, and audited existing pages to ensure

78
00:06:08.100 --> 00:06:11.660
only relevant content made the cut.

79
00:06:11.660 --> 00:06:18.960
When we flipped the switch on production, their site went live smoothly and on schedule.

80
00:06:18.960 --> 00:06:20.560
The lesson learned.

81
00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:24.800
Clean first, plan thoroughly, and always have a fallback.

82
00:06:24.840 --> 00:06:31.120
Finally, you'll gather all the pieces, wireframes, style guides, workflow architecture

83
00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:37.040
diagrams, content models, and prep your handoff for development.

84
00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:42.040
You'll document any functional constraints, technical specifications, or exceptions that

85
00:06:42.040 --> 00:06:45.960
the teams need to know before they start building.

86
00:06:45.960 --> 00:06:50.640
This isn't about creating a binder that nobody reads, it's about giving developers

87
00:06:50.640 --> 00:06:55.880
and content authors the tools they need to move fast and stay aligned.

88
00:06:55.880 --> 00:07:01.280
So, to recap, the design phase is where clarity meets creativity.

89
00:07:01.280 --> 00:07:07.520
It's a mix of UX, systems thinking, and content strategy all working together.

90
00:07:07.520 --> 00:07:13.800
By the end of this phase, you should have a defined content model and design system,

91
00:07:13.800 --> 00:07:20.280
a full technical architecture diagram, user roles, workflows, and publishing rules, a

92
00:07:20.280 --> 00:07:25.680
plan for content migration, and documentation ready for development.

93
00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:31.220
This is your blueprint, your North Star, and getting it right now means fewer blockers

94
00:07:31.220 --> 00:07:32.640
later.

95
00:07:32.640 --> 00:07:35.100
This overview just scratched the surface.

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00:07:35.100 --> 00:07:41.600
Make sure to download the design phase guide to walk through detailed workflows, documentation

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00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:47.120
templates, and best practices to get your structure and strategy dialed in.



If the first clip was about alignment, this one is about architecture, creative, technical, and organizational. Here we'll talk about design, where your project starts to take shape. Now don't let the word design fool you. This isn't just about how things look, it's about how they work, how content is structured, what it does, what connects to what, and how your users will experience it all. This phase is a mix of strategy, user experience, technical architecture, and let's be honest, a little bit of healthy chaos. Teams work in parallel, ideas evolve, and the best results come from iterating fast and fixing early. So let's break it down. There are six core focus areas in the design phase. First, requirements gathering and analysis. Before you sketch a wireframe or define a content type, you need to create a crystal clear requirements document. That means sitting down with stakeholders, using tools like the five whys, and analyzing what content types, metadata, and workflows already exist. You'll also look at your current CMS integrations, content permissions, and localization strategy, like whether you're managing content centrally or regionally. This work defines the playing field. It helps surface edge cases, the technical constraints, and the content quirks you'll need to design around. Next is user roles, workflows, and publishing rules. Basically, who does what and when. You'll define user roles in content stack, editor, contributor, administrator, and the workflows they follow. Who creates, who approves, and who publishes. This section forces you to document it all, not just roles and permissions, but publishing rules, automation triggers, and content expiration policies. Think of it as designing the editorial engine behind your CMS. You want clarity now, not confusion when deadlines hit. Now we get into the technical bones of the project. The technical, architecture, and system design. You'll lock in your stack, identify integration points, and define your data flows. This includes connecting to things like marketing platforms, product catalogs, CDPs, DAMs, and translation services. Whether you're doing a lift and shift or a full redesign, you'll need to create an architecture diagram of your future state and make sure everything – content, APIs, the front end – all plays well together. Security, compliance, and continuous integration. Continuous delivery pipelines. This is where it all gets scoped and validated. Next, content modeling and UX design. This is where your content structure and user experience come together. You'll define your content types, global fields, modular blocks, metadata, and taxonomy. It's not just about building what you have. It's about planning for what you might need later and ensure maximum reusability as well. You'll align your content model with your wireframes and develop your design system from UI patterns to instructional text for editors. Don't forget accessibility, branding, and reusability. And yes, personalization can be part of this phase too, if it's in scope. If you're migrating from another CMS, this is where things get real. You'll assess the current system, inventory, your content types, and map that data into your new content stack model. This is where the ETL process kicks in – extract, transform, and load. You'll document how to handle parent-child relationships, taxonomy, assets, and metadata, and decide when to freeze content for a clean transition. Migration is often underestimated. Start planning it now before timelines get tight. Now, the Content Stack Migration tool. This helps users migrate content from a legacy CMS into Content Stack. It streamlines the process with an intuitive interface and a step-by-step workflow for importing content, mapping content types, and transferring data into a stack. Behind the scenes, it handles the heavy lifting of extract, transform, and load, standardizing data into Content Stack-friendly JSON, validating relationships, and catching errors early. But as smooth as this tool makes the process, success still depends on what you bring into it. Migration isn't just technical, it's editorial, it's procedural. On one project, a client insisted on skipping the content spring cleaning step. They wanted to move everything over as-is. Outdated articles, duplicate assets, broken links, all of it. Halfway through, their content creators couldn't find the right versions of pages, workflows broke, and their search results were full of junk. We had to pause, roll back, and redo weeks of work. Compare that to another client who invested time upfront in pruning and normalizing content. They built a project plan to track every migration step. They kept a manual feedback plan in case automation failed, and audited existing pages to ensure only relevant content made the cut. When we flipped the switch on production, their site went live smoothly and on schedule. The lesson learned. Clean first, plan thoroughly, and always have a fallback. Finally, you'll gather all the pieces, wireframes, style guides, workflow architecture diagrams, content models, and prep your handoff for development. You'll document any functional constraints, technical specifications, or exceptions that the teams need to know before they start building. This isn't about creating a binder that nobody reads, it's about giving developers and content authors the tools they need to move fast and stay aligned. So, to recap, the design phase is where clarity meets creativity. It's a mix of UX, systems thinking, and content strategy all working together. By the end of this phase, you should have a defined content model and design system, a full technical architecture diagram, user roles, workflows, and publishing rules, a plan for content migration, and documentation ready for development. This is your blueprint, your North Star, and getting it right now means fewer blockers later. This overview just scratched the surface. Make sure to download the design phase guide to walk through detailed workflows, documentation templates, and best practices to get your structure and strategy dialed in.

02 Design

Configuration & Implementation

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This is where the rubber finally meets the road.

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All that design thinking, strategy, and planning, this is where it becomes real.

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You no longer are talking about the project, you're building it.

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00:00:17.420 --> 00:00:22.880
And in a content stack implementation, that starts with configuration.

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00:00:22.880 --> 00:00:28.740
This is the phase where you roll up your sleeves and get hands-on with content stack.

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00:00:28.740 --> 00:00:34.900
You'll configure roles, workflows, taxonomies, publishing rules, and most importantly, you'll

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00:00:34.900 --> 00:00:39.380
build the content models that bring your structure to life.

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This phase isn't flashy, it's a foundation, and if you do it well, everything else, editorial

9
00:00:46.740 --> 00:00:51.640
workflows, front-end rendering, and even localization, runs smoother.

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00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:54.360
So again, let's break it down.

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Your first focus is setup.

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You'll start by defining your master locale and localization strategy.

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Then you'll add users, assign roles, configure the workflows, and permissions mapped out

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00:01:08.520 --> 00:01:10.460
during design.

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Next is the heavy lift, content modeling.

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This is the most time-consuming part of the phase.

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Each model needs to be built in content stack.

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It's not just a copy and paste of your design doc, it's an actual implementation, often

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done in sprints, based on complexity and your development team capacity.

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You'll also set up publishing environments, rules, taxonomies, and editorial support like

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help text, validation constraints, and modular blocks.

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This is the part where your strategy becomes structured.

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You'll also need to make sure that the system you're building supports intuitive navigation

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for editors, aligns with your SEO goals, meets your security and compliance standards, and

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it's flexible enough to scale as your needs evolve.

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That means your CMS developers, analysts, UX designers, and security leads all have

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a role to play here.

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Once your models are built, it's time to test them.

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You'll create prototypes or visual tools in content stack to validate your work, ideally

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with real stakeholders.

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This isn't just a box to check, it's where you catch the little things that don't quite

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work the way that you expected.

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Does the taxonomy make sense?

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Are the fields intuitive?

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Is the workflow usable for the actual editors?

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You'll collect feedback, make refinements, and aim for sign-off on the content model

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before moving to the next phase.

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That said, plan for some evolution.

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Your content model will change as more use cases are tested and edge cases are surfaced.

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By the end of this phase, your system should be structured, scalable, aligned with your

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approved designs, and ready for population and deployment.

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00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:21.000
Your Key Deliverables Here's what you'll walk away with.

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Fully implemented content models and global fields, metadata schemas and taxonomies aligned

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00:03:27.440 --> 00:03:34.040
with SEO best practices, roles, workflows, and publishing rules configured in content

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stack, publishing environments set up and tested, a signed-off content model that's

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ready for development and migration.

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This phase is where the long-term success of your implementation gets locked in.

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00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:55.200
A well-modeled, well-configured system means less rework down the road.

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00:03:55.200 --> 00:03:58.820
It means editors aren't stuck in clunky workflows.

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00:03:58.820 --> 00:04:03.600
It means your architecture supports scale instead of breaking under it.

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00:04:03.600 --> 00:04:09.800
So take the time to get it right, validate often, and remember, your CMS just isn't

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a back-end.

53
00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:15.120
It's the backbone of your digital experience.

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00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:20.280
We've outlined key steps here, but the full guide, which is available to download here

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on Academy, gives you step-by-step resources for configuring roles, workflows, content

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00:04:26.440 --> 00:04:28.640
models, and publishing environments.



This is where the rubber finally meets the road. All that design thinking, strategy, and planning, this is where it becomes real. You no longer are talking about the project, you're building it. And in a content stack implementation, that starts with configuration. This is the phase where you roll up your sleeves and get hands-on with content stack. You'll configure roles, workflows, taxonomies, publishing rules, and most importantly, you'll build the content models that bring your structure to life. This phase isn't flashy, it's a foundation, and if you do it well, everything else, editorial workflows, front-end rendering, and even localization, runs smoother. So again, let's break it down. Your first focus is setup. You'll start by defining your master locale and localization strategy. Then you'll add users, assign roles, configure the workflows, and permissions mapped out during design. Next is the heavy lift, content modeling. This is the most time-consuming part of the phase. Each model needs to be built in content stack. It's not just a copy and paste of your design doc, it's an actual implementation, often done in sprints, based on complexity and your development team capacity. You'll also set up publishing environments, rules, taxonomies, and editorial support like help text, validation constraints, and modular blocks. This is the part where your strategy becomes structured. You'll also need to make sure that the system you're building supports intuitive navigation for editors, aligns with your SEO goals, meets your security and compliance standards, and it's flexible enough to scale as your needs evolve. That means your CMS developers, analysts, UX designers, and security leads all have a role to play here. Once your models are built, it's time to test them. You'll create prototypes or visual tools in content stack to validate your work, ideally with real stakeholders. This isn't just a box to check, it's where you catch the little things that don't quite work the way that you expected. Does the taxonomy make sense? Are the fields intuitive? Is the workflow usable for the actual editors? You'll collect feedback, make refinements, and aim for sign-off on the content model before moving to the next phase. That said, plan for some evolution. Your content model will change as more use cases are tested and edge cases are surfaced. By the end of this phase, your system should be structured, scalable, aligned with your approved designs, and ready for population and deployment. Your Key Deliverables Here's what you'll walk away with. Fully implemented content models and global fields, metadata schemas and taxonomies aligned with SEO best practices, roles, workflows, and publishing rules configured in content stack, publishing environments set up and tested, a signed-off content model that's ready for development and migration. This phase is where the long-term success of your implementation gets locked in. A well-modeled, well-configured system means less rework down the road. It means editors aren't stuck in clunky workflows. It means your architecture supports scale instead of breaking under it. So take the time to get it right, validate often, and remember, your CMS just isn't a back-end. It's the backbone of your digital experience. We've outlined key steps here, but the full guide, which is available to download here on Academy, gives you step-by-step resources for configuring roles, workflows, content models, and publishing environments.

03 Configuration & Implementation

Front-End Development & System Integration

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This is where your designer's vision gets turned into real functioning code.

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You start by setting up your development environment, framework libraries, version control tools,

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00:00:15.580 --> 00:00:18.320
and all the behind-the-scenes stuff.

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00:00:18.320 --> 00:00:25.040
Then your front-end team will start translating wireframes and mockups into responsive, accessible,

5
00:00:25.040 --> 00:00:27.040
high-performing interfaces.

6
00:00:27.040 --> 00:00:34.800
Think reusable components, dynamic templates, clean HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or frameworks

7
00:00:34.800 --> 00:00:39.680
like React or Vue, depending upon your stack.

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But it's not just about layout, it's about integration.

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Your team will wire up the front-end to pull in real content from content stack.

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00:00:49.980 --> 00:00:56.880
That means mapping content types to templates, using the Content Delivery API to populate

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pages dynamically, and making sure everything renders correctly across screen sizes and

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00:01:03.620 --> 00:01:05.740
devices.

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00:01:05.740 --> 00:01:08.380
Accessibility is also critical here.

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Keyboard navigation, contrast standards, the whole package, and of course, performance,

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lazy loading images, minifying assets, and optimizing JavaScript.

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This is the part users will touch first.

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It needs to be fast, intuitive, and on-brand.

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Now, let's talk about the invisible engine behind it all.

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System integration.

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This is where your developers connect content stack to the rest of your ecosystem.

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CRM, DAM, analytics tools, marketing tools, translation services, whatever is required.

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You'll start by setting up APIs, configuring content stack marketplace apps, and handling

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authentication.

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Then you'll write the integration logic, REST, GraphQL, middleware, whatever it takes

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to get systems talking to each other smoothly.

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It's not just about connecting, it's about handling data properly, transforming it to

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match structure requirements, managing sync jobs or webhooks, implementing error handling

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and logging for visibility.

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Page routing happens here too.

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You'll define how users move through the site based on your UX and site map.

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And if you're using automation tools, or AI platforms, or services, or agentic capabilities

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like AgentOS, now's the time to wire those up as well.

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Trigger-based workflows, publishing pipelines, translations, whatever the project calls for.

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Once everything is connected, your developers will run system-level sanity checks to validate

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it all before handing off to QA.

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Which brings us to the last, but absolutely not least stage, QA.

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This is where you make sure the whole experience holds together across browsers, devices, screen

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sizes and scenarios.

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Your QA team will test the UI responsiveness, accessibility compliance, real-time data exchanges

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00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:24.360
between systems, page behavior under load, and full end-to-end user journeys.

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They'll track bugs in tools like Jira or Trello and work closely with developers to

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squash issues and retest as needed.

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System testing ensures that every new fix doesn't break something else.

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Device testing ensures that the experience holds up no matter what users are on, desktop,

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mobile, or a tablet.

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QA is the last checkpoint before go-live, and it's where small issues get caught before

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they turn into support tickets or worse, a bad user experience.

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00:04:00.760 --> 00:04:07.320
To recap, now you're building the experience, not just the interface, but the full digital

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00:04:07.320 --> 00:04:11.880
ecosystem that powers your website or application.

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You'll walk away with a functioning front-end mapped-to-real content, seamless integrations

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00:04:18.640 --> 00:04:25.920
between content stack and your business systems, a fully validated QA-approved experience that

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works across platforms and scenarios.

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00:04:29.620 --> 00:04:35.780
This build phase can be intense, but when it's done right, it's where your strategy

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00:04:35.780 --> 00:04:37.660
becomes reality.

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00:04:37.660 --> 00:04:43.380
If you're looking for implementation details or a development checklist, use the downloadable

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00:04:43.380 --> 00:04:46.080
documentation here on Academy.

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00:04:46.080 --> 00:04:52.020
It includes sample development tasks, testing strategies, and integration patterns.



This is where your designer's vision gets turned into real functioning code. You start by setting up your development environment, framework libraries, version control tools, and all the behind-the-scenes stuff. Then your front-end team will start translating wireframes and mockups into responsive, accessible, high-performing interfaces. Think reusable components, dynamic templates, clean HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or frameworks like React or Vue, depending upon your stack. But it's not just about layout, it's about integration. Your team will wire up the front-end to pull in real content from content stack. That means mapping content types to templates, using the Content Delivery API to populate pages dynamically, and making sure everything renders correctly across screen sizes and devices. Accessibility is also critical here. Keyboard navigation, contrast standards, the whole package, and of course, performance, lazy loading images, minifying assets, and optimizing JavaScript. This is the part users will touch first. It needs to be fast, intuitive, and on-brand. Now, let's talk about the invisible engine behind it all. System integration. This is where your developers connect content stack to the rest of your ecosystem. CRM, DAM, analytics tools, marketing tools, translation services, whatever is required. You'll start by setting up APIs, configuring content stack marketplace apps, and handling authentication. Then you'll write the integration logic, REST, GraphQL, middleware, whatever it takes to get systems talking to each other smoothly. It's not just about connecting, it's about handling data properly, transforming it to match structure requirements, managing sync jobs or webhooks, implementing error handling and logging for visibility. Page routing happens here too. You'll define how users move through the site based on your UX and site map. And if you're using automation tools, or AI platforms, or services, or agentic capabilities like AgentOS, now's the time to wire those up as well. Trigger-based workflows, publishing pipelines, translations, whatever the project calls for. Once everything is connected, your developers will run system-level sanity checks to validate it all before handing off to QA. Which brings us to the last, but absolutely not least stage, QA. This is where you make sure the whole experience holds together across browsers, devices, screen sizes and scenarios. Your QA team will test the UI responsiveness, accessibility compliance, real-time data exchanges between systems, page behavior under load, and full end-to-end user journeys. They'll track bugs in tools like Jira or Trello and work closely with developers to squash issues and retest as needed. System testing ensures that every new fix doesn't break something else. Device testing ensures that the experience holds up no matter what users are on, desktop, mobile, or a tablet. QA is the last checkpoint before go-live, and it's where small issues get caught before they turn into support tickets or worse, a bad user experience. To recap, now you're building the experience, not just the interface, but the full digital ecosystem that powers your website or application. You'll walk away with a functioning front-end mapped-to-real content, seamless integrations between content stack and your business systems, a fully validated QA-approved experience that works across platforms and scenarios. This build phase can be intense, but when it's done right, it's where your strategy becomes reality. If you're looking for implementation details or a development checklist, use the downloadable documentation here on Academy. It includes sample development tasks, testing strategies, and integration patterns.

04 Front-End Development And System Integration

Data Migration

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This is where we move our content from our legacy CMS into content stack.

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Now on paper, this might sound simple, extract the data, clean it up, load it in.

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But in reality, it's one of the more complex and risk-prone parts of any CMS implementation.

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So here we'll talk about making that process repeatable, reliable, and drama-free.

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So by the time you go live, nothing's left to chance.

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Let's walk through the phases.

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First, we look at what we have.

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You'll audit the existing content to identify duplicates, broken links, missing metadata,

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outdated pages, you name it.

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This is the content spring cleaning you've probably put off for years.

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From there, you'll prune what's no longer needed, normalize your formats, and identify

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dependencies like assets, plugins, or localization models.

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This step saves you from migrating junk you'll just have to clear up later.

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Here you have to build the ETL process, extract, transform, and load.

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Honestly, this is where the real work begins.

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You'll extract your content using API calls, SQL queries, export tools, or custom scripts

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depending upon your legacy system.

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And if your CMS is… creatively built?

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Expect to get creative.

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From there, you'll transform the data into the format ContentStack expects, clean, structured

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JSON mapped to your new content models.

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That means mapping fields like blog title to post title, converting flat taxonomies

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into hierarchies, standardizing URLs, trimming excess text, maybe even enriching content

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along the way.

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Your developers will write transformation scripts, usually in JavaScript, and test them

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on sample data.

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The goal is to make this repeatable and as automated as possible.

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And then you load.

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Using ContentStack's import tools, you'll upload that JSON into your staging environment,

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run sanity checks, and validate that everything shows up where it should.

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Once your ETL process is working, it's time to test the whole flow end-to-end.

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You'll run full-scale migrations into stage or testing environments, validate relationships

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and display logic, and make sure there's no surprises when you hit production.

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QA testers will simulate real user behavior while developers and architects monitor logs,

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error handling, and data integrity.

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This is also where you iterate, adjust scripts, fix data issues, and rerun the process as

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many times as needed.

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And here's a critical point, avoid changing your content models during this phase unless

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absolutely necessary.

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Every change means rewriting your scripts and revalidating your data.

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With a clean data set in your staging environment, it's time for user acceptance testing.

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You'll work with real users, content creators, strategists, marketers to walk through actual

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use cases.

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Can they find what they need?

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Does the migrated content make sense?

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Are workflows functional?

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This isn't just technical validation, it's also confirming that the CMS is usable and

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supports real business needs.

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We'll document feedback, flag blockers, and resolve any showstoppers, especially those

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tied to integrations or upstream systems.

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Once you're confident, it's go time.

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You'll lock in your go-live date, confirm your content freeze, and rerun the entire

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ETL process, this time into the production environment.

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You'll notify stakeholders, test all systems one final time, and ensure that third-party

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services like search, analytics, and personalization are ready to connect.

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And yes, you'll need a rollback plan, just in case.

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After the import, you'll run a final QA pass to validate content, workflows, and system

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performance.

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If everything checks out, you're live.

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So, to recap, data migration isn't just a one-time transfer, it's a technical project

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with a life of its own.

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You'll walk away from this phase with clean, structured content and content stack, a repeatable

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ETL pipeline for future use, full QA and stakeholder validation, a go-live plan backed

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by real test data.

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This phase creates confidence, not chaos, and sets the stage for a successful rollout.

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Data migration can get complex fast.

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That's why we've built a complete ETL Guide and Validation Checklist, which is available

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for download.



This is where we move our content from our legacy CMS into content stack. Now on paper, this might sound simple, extract the data, clean it up, load it in. But in reality, it's one of the more complex and risk-prone parts of any CMS implementation. So here we'll talk about making that process repeatable, reliable, and drama-free. So by the time you go live, nothing's left to chance. Let's walk through the phases. First, we look at what we have. You'll audit the existing content to identify duplicates, broken links, missing metadata, outdated pages, you name it. This is the content spring cleaning you've probably put off for years. From there, you'll prune what's no longer needed, normalize your formats, and identify dependencies like assets, plugins, or localization models. This step saves you from migrating junk you'll just have to clear up later. Here you have to build the ETL process, extract, transform, and load. Honestly, this is where the real work begins. You'll extract your content using API calls, SQL queries, export tools, or custom scripts depending upon your legacy system. And if your CMS is… creatively built? Expect to get creative. From there, you'll transform the data into the format ContentStack expects, clean, structured JSON mapped to your new content models. That means mapping fields like blog title to post title, converting flat taxonomies into hierarchies, standardizing URLs, trimming excess text, maybe even enriching content along the way. Your developers will write transformation scripts, usually in JavaScript, and test them on sample data. The goal is to make this repeatable and as automated as possible. And then you load. Using ContentStack's import tools, you'll upload that JSON into your staging environment, run sanity checks, and validate that everything shows up where it should. Once your ETL process is working, it's time to test the whole flow end-to-end. You'll run full-scale migrations into stage or testing environments, validate relationships and display logic, and make sure there's no surprises when you hit production. QA testers will simulate real user behavior while developers and architects monitor logs, error handling, and data integrity. This is also where you iterate, adjust scripts, fix data issues, and rerun the process as many times as needed. And here's a critical point, avoid changing your content models during this phase unless absolutely necessary. Every change means rewriting your scripts and revalidating your data. With a clean data set in your staging environment, it's time for user acceptance testing. You'll work with real users, content creators, strategists, marketers to walk through actual use cases. Can they find what they need? Does the migrated content make sense? Are workflows functional? This isn't just technical validation, it's also confirming that the CMS is usable and supports real business needs. We'll document feedback, flag blockers, and resolve any showstoppers, especially those tied to integrations or upstream systems. Once you're confident, it's go time. You'll lock in your go-live date, confirm your content freeze, and rerun the entire ETL process, this time into the production environment. You'll notify stakeholders, test all systems one final time, and ensure that third-party services like search, analytics, and personalization are ready to connect. And yes, you'll need a rollback plan, just in case. After the import, you'll run a final QA pass to validate content, workflows, and system performance. If everything checks out, you're live. So, to recap, data migration isn't just a one-time transfer, it's a technical project with a life of its own. You'll walk away from this phase with clean, structured content and content stack, a repeatable ETL pipeline for future use, full QA and stakeholder validation, a go-live plan backed by real test data. This phase creates confidence, not chaos, and sets the stage for a successful rollout. Data migration can get complex fast. That's why we've built a complete ETL Guide and Validation Checklist, which is available for download.

05 Data Migration

Phased Rollout

WEBVTT

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A phase rollout is an incremental approach to implementing new IT projects, as opposed

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to an organization-wide big bang launch.

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This strategy involves breaking down the deployment into manageable stages.

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It allows for controlled testing, feedback gathering, and adjustments along the way.

5
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It's valuable for large or complex projects, where the risk of disruption, whether it be

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financial or reputational, needs to be managed carefully.

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Phase rollouts can be executed in several ways, depending on the project and the organization's

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needs.

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The preferred approach is to go ahead with one of the lightest just to get started, which

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would be a proving ground for the next one.

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Some examples would be starting with the easy lift, like text-heavy content, blogs

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and news sections, investor relations, terms and conditions, then move to something with

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medium complexity, like product listing pages, product description pages, then finally tackle

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the more complex pages, like the homepage, the unified header, and footer.

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So what are some of the advantages of this?

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A few things.

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It minimizes risk by limiting the initial deployment to a small group.

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Any bugs or issues can be identified and fixed without impacting the entire organization.

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It also facilitates user adoption.

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Users have time to gradually adjust to the changes, and the feedback from early phases

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can inform improvements for later ones.

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This helps build buy-in and makes the training process smoother.

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It allows for quicker wins, key functionality can go live sooner, and the organization can

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start realizing value from the project before the entire system is fully deployed.

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And it manages resources and costs.

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The project's financial and personnel resources are distributed over a longer period.

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This can prevent overwhelming IT and support teams and allows for better budget allocation.

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Are there disadvantages?

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Sure.

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Like this.

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Extended timelines.

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The overall project duration is longer compared to the Big Bang approach, which may frustrate

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stakeholders who want to see quicker return on investment.

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Temporary interfaces and processes.

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For a time, some users will be working on the new system while others remain on the

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old one.

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This can create a need for temporary workarounds or data bridges, which may cause confusion

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and require more maintenance.

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Project and change fatigue.

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A long implementation can lead to burnout for both the project team and the broader

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employee base as they have to endure a prolonged period of disruption.

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Phased costs.

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The extended duration in need for temporary systems can sometimes make the phased approach

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more expensive in the long run than a successful Big Bang rollout.



A phase rollout is an incremental approach to implementing new IT projects, as opposed to an organization-wide big bang launch. This strategy involves breaking down the deployment into manageable stages. It allows for controlled testing, feedback gathering, and adjustments along the way. It's valuable for large or complex projects, where the risk of disruption, whether it be financial or reputational, needs to be managed carefully. Phase rollouts can be executed in several ways, depending on the project and the organization's needs. The preferred approach is to go ahead with one of the lightest just to get started, which would be a proving ground for the next one. Some examples would be starting with the easy lift, like text-heavy content, blogs and news sections, investor relations, terms and conditions, then move to something with medium complexity, like product listing pages, product description pages, then finally tackle the more complex pages, like the homepage, the unified header, and footer. So what are some of the advantages of this? A few things. It minimizes risk by limiting the initial deployment to a small group. Any bugs or issues can be identified and fixed without impacting the entire organization. It also facilitates user adoption. Users have time to gradually adjust to the changes, and the feedback from early phases can inform improvements for later ones. This helps build buy-in and makes the training process smoother. It allows for quicker wins, key functionality can go live sooner, and the organization can start realizing value from the project before the entire system is fully deployed. And it manages resources and costs. The project's financial and personnel resources are distributed over a longer period. This can prevent overwhelming IT and support teams and allows for better budget allocation. Are there disadvantages? Sure. Like this. Extended timelines. The overall project duration is longer compared to the Big Bang approach, which may frustrate stakeholders who want to see quicker return on investment. Temporary interfaces and processes. For a time, some users will be working on the new system while others remain on the old one. This can create a need for temporary workarounds or data bridges, which may cause confusion and require more maintenance. Project and change fatigue. A long implementation can lead to burnout for both the project team and the broader employee base as they have to endure a prolonged period of disruption. Phased costs. The extended duration in need for temporary systems can sometimes make the phased approach more expensive in the long run than a successful Big Bang rollout.

06 Phased Rollout

Last Mile & Go-Live

WEBVTT

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00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.560
Now, by this point, your content is structured, your integrations are wired up, your site

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looks great, and you've run successful test migrations.

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But let me be clear, this last mile matters.

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This is where successful launches are either confirmed or they come off the rails.

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So let's talk about getting you across the finish line cleanly, confidently, and with

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a plan for what comes after.

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First things first, your QA team needs to retest everything in production.

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00:00:37.860 --> 00:00:44.340
That means functional testing across workflows and third-party tools, load and performance

9
00:00:44.340 --> 00:00:51.660
checks, security validation, authentication, permissions, encryption, SSO, cross-browser

10
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and device compatibility.

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Once that's done, your QA lead should sign off, confirming there's no critical issues

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left.

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This isn't just a formality, it's the green light that says we're ready.

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Now it's time for your end-users to step in.

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You'll have content creators and strategists run through real-world scenarios in a live

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environment, editing, publishing, searching, and reviewing content flow.

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This is their chance to catch anything that might have slipped through the cracks during

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staging or just doesn't feel quite right.

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You'll collect feedback, resolve any final blockers, and confirm that the CMS is not

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just functional, but usable.

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No go-live is complete without prepping the people who will use the platform day-to-day.

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You'll create tailored training for editors, developers, and admins, walking them through

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key workflows, publishing rules, and best practices.

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Make sure documentation is ready to go as well.

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FAQs, troubleshooting steps, how-tos – this is what keeps support tickets from piling

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up post-launch.

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Next is visibility and measurement.

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You'll implement 301 redirects from old URLs, validate migrated metadata, check for

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broken links, configure Google Analytics and Tag Manager, set up event tracking for

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page views, conversions, and user interactions.

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Remember, if you can't measure it, you can't optimize it.

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And let's be real, go-lives don't always go perfectly.

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You'll want a full backup of your new CMS plus a documented rollback plan in case something

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critical breaks.

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Make sure your team has tested those recovery procedures.

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If you have to use them, you want them to work the first time.

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Before you flip the switch, you'll walk through your go-live checklist.

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Is all the content migrated and validated?

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Are integrations working?

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Are users trained?

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Has SEO been double-checked?

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Once every box is ticked, you'll gather stakeholder sign-off and lock in the go-live

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date.

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Now it's time to go live.

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You'll deploy to production and closely monitor the platform for performance, stability, and

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00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:28.120
bugs.

47
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Have your developers and support team ready to jump in if anything goes sideways.

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00:03:34.440 --> 00:03:41.960
Stay on top of logs, user reports, and error rates, especially in those first 24 hours.

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Finally, communicate.

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Announce the go-live date to all stakeholders.

51
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Make sure people know what's changing, who to contact for support, and what to expect.

52
00:03:53.360 --> 00:04:00.000
Set expectations around things like brief downtime, URL changes, or updated workflows.

53
00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:03.360
And most importantly, celebrate the launch.

54
00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:07.400
A successful go-live is a major milestone.

55
00:04:07.400 --> 00:04:12.480
So to recap, this video is about tightening every bolt before launch.

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00:04:12.480 --> 00:04:19.240
It's QA, it's user validation, it's training, it's SEO, it's communication, and it's being

57
00:04:19.240 --> 00:04:21.840
ready for anything.

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Handled well, this phase ensures your implementation just doesn't work, it succeeds.

59
00:04:28.460 --> 00:04:34.760
Be sure to go to our resources for a complete set of go-live checklists, QA protocols, training

60
00:04:34.760 --> 00:04:37.400
guides, and SEO prep.

61
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Everything you need to make launch day smooth, it's right there.

62
00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:47.640
Once you've gone live with ContentStack, it's important to occasionally revisit your configuration

63
00:04:47.640 --> 00:04:53.720
to assess its configuration, usage, and adherence to best practices.

64
00:04:53.720 --> 00:04:58.680
The Health Check app is a self-service tool designed to help you optimize your stack's

65
00:04:58.680 --> 00:05:04.720
configuration and maintain best practices throughout your ContentStack journey.

66
00:05:04.720 --> 00:05:10.040
You can find and install the Health Check app from the ContentStack Marketplace.

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00:05:10.040 --> 00:05:17.160
And again, be sure to download all the resources from this course to help you in your journey.

68
00:05:17.160 --> 00:05:18.680
Thank you so much for watching.



Now, by this point, your content is structured, your integrations are wired up, your site looks great, and you've run successful test migrations. But let me be clear, this last mile matters. This is where successful launches are either confirmed or they come off the rails. So let's talk about getting you across the finish line cleanly, confidently, and with a plan for what comes after. First things first, your QA team needs to retest everything in production. That means functional testing across workflows and third-party tools, load and performance checks, security validation, authentication, permissions, encryption, SSO, cross-browser and device compatibility. Once that's done, your QA lead should sign off, confirming there's no critical issues left. This isn't just a formality, it's the green light that says we're ready. Now it's time for your end-users to step in. You'll have content creators and strategists run through real-world scenarios in a live environment, editing, publishing, searching, and reviewing content flow. This is their chance to catch anything that might have slipped through the cracks during staging or just doesn't feel quite right. You'll collect feedback, resolve any final blockers, and confirm that the CMS is not just functional, but usable. No go-live is complete without prepping the people who will use the platform day-to-day. You'll create tailored training for editors, developers, and admins, walking them through key workflows, publishing rules, and best practices. Make sure documentation is ready to go as well. FAQs, troubleshooting steps, how-tos – this is what keeps support tickets from piling up post-launch. Next is visibility and measurement. You'll implement 301 redirects from old URLs, validate migrated metadata, check for broken links, configure Google Analytics and Tag Manager, set up event tracking for page views, conversions, and user interactions. Remember, if you can't measure it, you can't optimize it. And let's be real, go-lives don't always go perfectly. You'll want a full backup of your new CMS plus a documented rollback plan in case something critical breaks. Make sure your team has tested those recovery procedures. If you have to use them, you want them to work the first time. Before you flip the switch, you'll walk through your go-live checklist. Is all the content migrated and validated? Are integrations working? Are users trained? Has SEO been double-checked? Once every box is ticked, you'll gather stakeholder sign-off and lock in the go-live date. Now it's time to go live. You'll deploy to production and closely monitor the platform for performance, stability, and bugs. Have your developers and support team ready to jump in if anything goes sideways. Stay on top of logs, user reports, and error rates, especially in those first 24 hours. Finally, communicate. Announce the go-live date to all stakeholders. Make sure people know what's changing, who to contact for support, and what to expect. Set expectations around things like brief downtime, URL changes, or updated workflows. And most importantly, celebrate the launch. A successful go-live is a major milestone. So to recap, this video is about tightening every bolt before launch. It's QA, it's user validation, it's training, it's SEO, it's communication, and it's being ready for anything. Handled well, this phase ensures your implementation just doesn't work, it succeeds. Be sure to go to our resources for a complete set of go-live checklists, QA protocols, training guides, and SEO prep. Everything you need to make launch day smooth, it's right there. Once you've gone live with ContentStack, it's important to occasionally revisit your configuration to assess its configuration, usage, and adherence to best practices. The Health Check app is a self-service tool designed to help you optimize your stack's configuration and maintain best practices throughout your ContentStack journey. You can find and install the Health Check app from the ContentStack Marketplace. And again, be sure to download all the resources from this course to help you in your journey. Thank you so much for watching.

07 Last Mile & Go-Live

Implementing a headless CMS like Contentstack is more than a technical upgrade—it’s a transformation of how your organization creates, manages, and delivers digital experiences. This course provides a comprehensive roadmap for project managers, architects, and stakeholders to move from "getting ready" to a successful, scalable production environment.Through seven detailed lesson, you will learn how to align stakeholders, architect complex content models, execute seamless data migrations, and manage a phased rollout that minimizes risk while maximizing ROI.<h3>What You Will Learn</h3><ul><li>Strategic Planning:</li><li>Architecture &amp; Design:</li><li>Technical Configuration:</li><li>Development &amp; Integration:</li><li>Migration Strategy:</li><li>Deployment Excellence:</li></ul>

Implementing a headless CMS like Contentstack is more than a technical upgrade—it’s a transformation of how your organization creates, manages, and delivers digital experiences.