Easy Guide to Craft CMS: Features, API, DDEV, and SEO

Posted on 8 May 2025 by techwithnavi.com in Blog

Introduction

Craft CMS is a simple yet powerful tool for building custom websites. Launched in 2013 by Pixel & Tonic, it helps developers and content creators make unique, fast, and search-friendly sites. Unlike other platforms, Craft CMS gives you full control to design exactly what you want. For example, you can create a blog, an online store, or a company page with ease. This guide explains Craft CMS in a clear, beginner-friendly way, covering its features, API, local setup with DDEV, GitHub community, and how it helps with SEO. With over 1500 words, we’ll also answer common questions like “What is Craft CMS used for?” to help you get started. Whether you’re new to coding or a seasoned developer, this article makes Craft CMS easy to understand.

What is Craft CMS?

Craft CMS is a content management system (CMS) that runs on PHP, a popular web programming language. It’s self-hosted, meaning you install it on your own server. Unlike some CMS platforms that use ready-made templates, Craft CMS starts with a blank canvas, so you can build exactly what you need. For instance, it uses a tool called Twig to create the look of your website. Additionally, Craft CMS comes in two versions: Solo (free for small projects) and Pro (paid, with extra features like user accounts).

Key Features of Craft CMS

Craft CMS offers many tools to make web development easier. Here are the main ones:

  • Custom Content Setup: You can create your own content types, like blog posts or product pages, to fit your project.
  • Twig for Design: Twig helps you build safe, flexible web designs.
  • Add-Ons: Plugins, such as SEOmatic for SEO or Formie for forms, add more features.
  • Multiple Sites: Run several websites from one Craft CMS setup.
  • Easy Admin Panel: Content editors love its simple, clear interface.
  • API Support: Share content with apps or other websites using APIs.
  • Strong Security: Regular updates keep your site safe.

Because of these features, companies like PBS and Tito’s Handmade Vodka use Craft CMS for their websites.

Craft CMS API: Connecting Your Site to Apps

The Craft CMS API lets you share your website’s content with other systems, like mobile apps or modern web frameworks. For example, you can use Craft CMS as a “headless” CMS, where it manages content but doesn’t control the design. In fact, the Pro version of Craft CMS includes a built-in GraphQL API, which makes fetching specific data easy. Meanwhile, the Element API (a free plugin) offers a simpler way to create custom data endpoints.

How the Craft CMS API Works

Let’s break it down. First, the GraphQL API lets you ask for exactly the data you want, like blog post titles or images. Here’s a sample query:

query {
  entries(section: "blog") {
    title
    date
    content
  }
}

This sends back data in a format called JSON, which works great with tools like Gatsby or Next.js.

Next, the Element API lets you create your own data links. For example, you can add this code to a file called config/element-api.php:

use craft\elements\Entry;
return [
    'endpoints' => [
        'api/news' => [
            'elementType' => Entry::class,
            'criteria' => ['section' => 'news'],
            'transformer' => function(Entry $entry) {
                return [
                    'title' => $entry->title,
                    'summary' => $entry->summary,
                ];
            },
        ],
    ],
];

This creates a link at /api/news that shares news articles as JSON.

Finally, plugins like the HubSpot Connector let you pull in content from other tools, making your site even more dynamic.

Why Use the API?

The API is useful for many projects. For instance, you can:

  • Build a mobile app that gets content from Craft CMS.
  • Create a website with a modern framework like React.
  • Connect Craft CMS to marketing tools like HubSpot.

Therefore, the API makes Craft CMS a great choice for flexible, app-friendly websites.

Setting Up Craft CMS with DDEV

DDEV is a free tool that makes it easy to build and test Craft CMS websites on your computer. It uses Docker, a system that keeps your setup consistent, so your team gets the same results. Moreover, DDEV sets up PHP, MySQL, and other tools automatically, saving you time.

Steps to Use DDEV with Craft CMS

Here’s how to start a Craft CMS project with DDEV:

  1. Install DDEV: Get it from ddev.com and follow the setup guide.
  2. Make a Project Folder:mkdir my-craft-site cd my-craft-site
  3. Set Up DDEV:ddev config --project-type=craftcms --docroot=web
  4. Start DDEV:ddev start
  5. Install Craft CMS:ddev composer create --no-scripts craftcms/craft
  6. Finish Setup:ddev craft install/craft \ --username=admin \ --password=Password123 \ --email=admin@example.com \ --site-name='My Craft Site' \ --language=en \ --site-url='$DDEV_PRIMARY_URL'
  7. Open Your Site:ddev launch This opens the Craft CMS admin panel in your browser.

Why DDEV is Great

DDEV simplifies your work. For example, it ensures everyone on your team uses the same settings. Additionally, it supports modern tools like Tailwind or Vite, which help with design. Plus, commands like ddev import-db make it easy to load data. As a result, DDEV is perfect for Craft CMS projects, big or small.

Craft CMS on GitHub

Craft CMS is open-source, meaning its code is free to use and improve. You can find it on GitHub at github.com/craftcms/cms, where it has thousands of fans and active developers. In fact, the GitHub page is a hub for updates, ideas, and add-ons.

What’s on GitHub?

  • Main Code: The craftcms/cms page has the core Craft CMS code, managed by Pixel & Tonic.
  • Starter Kits: Projects like madebyshape/craft-cms give you a ready-to-go setup with DDEV and modern tools.
  • Plugins: Many plugins, like SEOmatic, have their own GitHub pages for fixes and updates.
  • Community Ideas: Developers share templates and guides to help you start faster.

How to Use GitHub with Craft CMS

  • Start a Project: Copy a starter kit with:git clone https://github.com/madebyshape/craft-cms my-craft-site
  • Help Out: Copy the Craft CMS code, make changes, and share them back.
  • Report Problems: Use GitHub to tell the team about bugs or new ideas.

Because of this active community, Craft CMS keeps getting better and stays up-to-date.

SEO with Craft CMS

SEO, or search engine optimization, helps your website appear higher on Google. Fortunately, Craft CMS is excellent for SEO, often doing better than other platforms like WordPress. Its clean code and smart tools make it easy to rank well.

How Craft CMS Helps SEO

  • Fast Code: Craft CMS creates simple, lightweight pages that load quickly, which Google loves.
  • Custom Links: You can make search-friendly web addresses, like /blog/my-post, with keywords.
  • SEOmatic Plugin: This popular add-on, used by Moz, does a lot:
    • Adds titles, descriptions, and social media tags automatically.
    • Creates sitemaps for Google to find your pages.
    • Adds special data for better search results, like star ratings.
    • Manages image tags for better visibility.
  • Retour Plugin: Fixes broken links to keep your SEO strong.
  • Speed Boost: Craft CMS saves pages in advance, making them super fast.

Tips for Great SEO with Craft CMS

  • Add SEOmatic: Get it from the Craft Plugin Store and set it up in the admin panel.
  • Write Unique Tags: Use different titles and descriptions for every page.
  • Use Headings: Add H1 and H2 tags to make content clear and search-friendly.
  • Optimize Images: Use Craft CMS to shrink images and add descriptive tags.
  • Make It Mobile-Friendly: Ensure your site works well on phones, as Google checks this.
  • Link Pages: Connect related pages to help users and search engines explore your site.

In short, Craft CMS, especially with SEOmatic, gives you top-notch SEO tools that are easy to use and highly effective.

FAQs About Craft CMS

What is Craft CMS Used For?

Craft CMS is perfect for building custom websites that need to stand out. For example, it’s used for:

  • Blogs and News Sites: Create organized content like articles or updates.
  • Online Stores: With Craft Commerce, you can sell products and manage orders.
  • App Content: Share data with mobile apps or smart devices using APIs.
  • Big Websites: Companies like PBS use Craft CMS for secure, large-scale sites.
  • Marketing Pages: Build search-friendly landing pages or portfolios.

Because it’s so flexible, Craft CMS works for both small and complex projects.

Is Craft CMS Better Than WordPress?

Craft CMS and WordPress are both great, but they fit different needs. Here’s how they compare:

FeatureCraft CMSWordPress
Ease of UseNeeds coding knowledgeEasy for beginners
CustomizationTotal control, clean codeUses themes, can get messy
SEOGreat tools like SEOmaticGood tools like Yoast, but slower
SecurityVery safe, modern designNeeds plugins, more risks
CommunitySmaller but activeHuge, with tons of help
CostFree Solo, Pro costs $299/siteFree, but add-ons can add up
SpeedFast, lightweightCan slow down with many plugins

Choose Craft CMS if:

  • You want a fast, custom site with great SEO.
  • You know some coding and want control.
  • You need a secure, modern system.

Choose WordPress if:

  • You’re new or want a quick setup.
  • You like lots of ready-made designs.
  • You’re on a tight budget.

Overall, Craft CMS shines for developers who want speed and flexibility, while WordPress is better for beginners.

Who is the CEO of Craft CMS?

The CEO of Craft CMS, created by Pixel & Tonic, is Brandon Kelly. He started the company and leads the development of Craft CMS. What’s more, Brandon is active in the community, answering questions on GitHub and speaking at events like Dot All.

How to Start with Craft CMS

Ready to try Craft CMS? Here’s what to do:

  1. Install It: Use DDEV as shown above or install with Composer (composer create-project craftcms/craft my-craft-site).
  2. Add Plugins: Get SEOmatic for SEO or Formie for forms from the Craft Plugin Store.
  3. Build Designs: Use Twig to create custom pages in the templates folder.
  4. Join the Community: Chat with others on Craft CMS StackExchange or Slack.
  5. Learn More: Visit craftcms.com/docs or read CraftQuest blogs.

Conclusion

Craft CMS is an awesome tool for building custom, fast, and search-friendly websites. Its API lets you connect to apps, DDEV makes setup a breeze, and GitHub keeps the community buzzing with ideas. Plus, its SEO tools, like SEOmatic, help your site shine on Google. Whether you’re creating a blog, store, or app, Craft CMS gives you the freedom to make it your own.

Therefore, try Craft CMS today by setting up with DDEV, exploring GitHub starters, or adding SEOmatic for SEO. Join the Craft community to learn more, and see why big names like Moz love it for their websites. With Craft CMS, your web projects will stand out!

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