CM101 A Free Online Course
Master the Discipline of Content Management

Introduction to
Content Management

From the history of the discipline to content modeling, editorial workflow, delivery architecture, and choosing a platform — a thorough, plain-English course that turns beginners into confident practitioners.

8in-depth lessons
~3 hrsof guided reading
60+review & discussion Qs
$0to enroll
The Curriculum
1
What Is Content Management?
The discipline's history, a precise definition of "content," and what a CMS does & doesn't do.
2
Types of CMS
WCM, ECM, DAM & records management — plus the crucial idea of "opinionated software."
3
Content Modeling I
Reification, the anatomy of an attribute, and types versus objects.
4
Content Modeling II
Relationships and the five "shapes" of content — from serial to relational.
5
Editorial Tools & Workflow
The lifecycle, the team, versioning, workflow vs. approvals, and permissions.
6
Content Delivery & Aggregation
Separating content from presentation, templating, and the art of aggregation.
7
CMS Architecture
Coupled, decoupled & headless — and how to pick the right one.
8
Acquiring & Living With a CMS
Ecosystems, selection, migration, governance, and where the field is going.
📖
Self-Paced
Read anywhere, anytime
Test Yourself
Questions every lesson
🧭
No Prerequisites
Start from zero
🎓
Practitioner-Grade
25+ yrs of expertise
Why Learn This
  • Speak the language fluently. Command the vocabulary professionals use — content types, coupling models, aggregation, and more.
  • Make smarter decisions. Model content, choose an architecture, and evaluate platforms without falling for vendor hype.
  • Avoid costly mistakes. Learn where CMS projects fail — weak modeling, poor governance, risky migrations.
  • Skills that transfer. Grasp the discipline behind every CMS, so your knowledge outlives any single product.
Who It's For
  • Marketers & content creators
  • Web & front-end developers
  • Project & product managers
  • Designers & IA / UX practitioners
  • Anyone buying or running a CMS
  • Students of digital & comms
"A CMS is a means to an end, never the end itself."
Start learning today — completely free.
Grounded in the CM101 knowledge base by Deane Barker · deanebarker.net
Begin Lesson 1 →
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