Online Editor
Mount the browser-based CMS admin app on a page of your published site.
The Online Editor component embeds the Online CMS Editor into a page of your site, giving editors a browser-based interface for managing Markdown content and resources without opening Elements.
You only need to add this component once. Once your site is published, visiting the page where this component lives is how you and your team sign in to edit content.
Where to place it
The Online Editor needs its own dedicated page. A common convention is to place it alongside the content it manages — for example, an /admin page nested inside the same folder as your blog:
mywebsite.com/blog/— your blog index (a Collection).mywebsite.com/blog/post/— your post page (an Item).mywebsite.com/blog/admin/— the page hosting the Online Editor.
You can put it anywhere you like, but keeping it close to the content makes the relationship obvious.
Don't add any other components to the admin page. The Online Editor takes over the full page and assumes nothing else is competing for the layout. Mixing it with Headings, Navigation, or other components will produce unpredictable results.
The page hosting the Online Editor must be published to a server that meets the System Requirements (PHP 8.1+, JavaScript enabled in the browser).
First-time setup
Once your site is published, visit the admin page in your browser — for example https://mywebsite.com/blog/admin/.
On a fresh install you'll be guided through:
Creating an account with an email and password.
Choosing the workspace name (this is shown in the editor's chrome).
Confirming the content folder and resources folder the editor should read from.
After setup, the same URL becomes a sign-in page for any returning user.
Resetting the installation
If you need to run first-time setup again, delete the Online Editor configuration file from the published site.
Deleting config.php removes the Online Editor setup, including the admin account, configured content folders, resource folders, and workspace settings. It does not delete your Markdown content or uploaded resources.
Before deleting anything, back up config.php if you might need the current settings later. Then connect to your server using FTP, SFTP, SSH, or your hosting file manager and find the Online Editor assets folder. The configuration file lives in the editor PHP folder:
Delete php/config.php, reload your admin page, and complete first-time setup again.
Free vs. paid features
The free tier covers a single workspace with one content folder and one resources folder — enough for a blog or small site. Paid plans unlock multiple users and groups, multiple content and resources folders, sub-folder support, the Frontmatter UI Manager, webhooks, custom branding, and the license/domain manager. Studio also includes the AI Writing Assistant.
Elements CMS currently offers Solo and Studio plans. If you need to switch between them, see Upgrading and Downgrading Plans. See the Online CMS Editor overview for the full feature comparison.
Keeping content in sync with Elements
Anything you create or edit in the Online Editor lives on the server only. Elements pushes content out, but doesn't currently pull changes back in.
In practice that means:
Files added or edited online won't appear in the CMS folder inside Elements.
You can't manage online-only files from the Elements app.
Republishing from Elements may overwrite changes made online.
If you have a team that does most of its editing in the browser, the safest workflow is to do layout and design in Elements and content edits online — and to coordinate before republishing.
Troubleshooting
The page renders but the editor doesn't load. Check that JavaScript is enabled in the browser, and that the page contains only the Online Editor component (no Navigation, Footer, or other layout components on the same page).
I forgot the admin password. Use the editor's Forgot password? flow if it is available on your sign-in page. If you need to discard the current editor account and run setup again, follow Resetting the installation.
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