Collections turn a static site into a dynamic one. Instead of manually building 20 identical-looking team profile pages, you define a template once and populate it with data entries. Change the template and all 20 pages update. This guide walks through what collections are, what you can build with them, the four components you configure, and the SEO benefits for UK small-business sites with repeating content types.
What are collections? · What you can build with collections · The four components of a collection · Default and custom fields · Creating a collection step by step · Adding entries to a collection · Displaying collections on your website · Duplicating a collection · SEO benefits of collections · FAQ
A collection is a dynamic content type with a shared template. Think of it like a spreadsheet where each row becomes a page on your website, all styled consistently through a single template.
Common UK SME use cases: team members, case studies, testimonials, events, news articles, property listings, product catalogues, recipes, menu items, FAQs.
Without collections you would build each entry manually, one page at a time. With collections you build the template once and add entries from a data-entry panel. The site stays consistent; updates take seconds.
Every collection starts with default fields: Title, Slug, Status (draft / published), Created date. You add custom fields for the specific content type:
From Collections → [Your collection] → Entries, click New entry and fill in the fields. Save & publish to make it live. Each entry automatically gets its own URL based on its slug: /team/jane-smith, /case-studies/acme-rebrand, etc.
Drop a Collection list element onto any page, pick which collection to display, choose layout (grid / list / carousel), and optionally filter or sort. Sitejet renders the list using your list-item template; clicking an entry navigates to its detail page.
Example: your Team page uses a Collection list for the team collection in a 3-column grid. New hires appear automatically once added as entries.
From the Collections panel, right-click and Duplicate. Useful when you need two similar collections (e.g. Services UK and Services EU) or when prototyping a new collection from an existing one.
See our how to configure SEO guide for the fuller picture.
Q: How many entries can a collection hold?
A: Practical limit for most UK SMEs is a few hundred. Sitejet handles collections with 500+ entries but editor performance on list views slows down beyond that — at which point WordPress or a dedicated CMS may be a better fit.
Q: Can collection entries have different templates?
A: No — all entries in a collection share one detail template. For different templates, create two collections.
Q: Can I import entries from a spreadsheet?
A: Yes, CSV import is supported. Map CSV columns to collection fields.
Q: Do collection entries count toward my page quota?
A: Each entry is effectively a page but there is no hard quota on Sitejet Builder hosting — practical limits are editor performance, not billing.
Q: Can I reference one collection from another?
A: Yes. Use a Reference field to link entries across collections (e.g. a case study references a client from a Clients collection).
Q: Are collection URLs SEO-friendly?
A: Yes — each entry has a customisable slug and inherits proper meta tags. Collection list pages also get clean URLs.