The concept of content type is so fundamental to CMS that you could argue any system lacking this definition really isn’t a CMS at all: it’s a blogging platform or page builder.

At the most basic level, content types are a classification tool used to distinguish groups of content. Typically, websites will have site sections, news stories, reports, and so on. But this basic classification is handled easily by metadata: just tagging a page as a “news story” and using that tag as a link to other news stories is very straightforward. It’s not really making any use of the content type metaphor.

So what are the benefits of content types?

1. They provide structure.

Larger sites need structure for several reasons: it helps contributors to enter the right kind of information (title, summary, event dates); it helps them to put content into the right areas of the website or intranet; and, it assures consistency in site design across pages that have the same function but different content.

2. They scale the system.

Being able to distinguish between a job, an event and a personal profile is essential if you have a large site with lots of contributors. Content types help with the information architecture of your site for public users and contributors alike; they enable you to introduce navigation that you just would be very difficult achieve without this concept.

3. They enable devolved ownership.

Most websites are “owned” by a marketing or communications team who are keen to ensure house style across the main publication, but who would be happy for other departments to own and maintain their own content that doesn’t require editorial review. If you don’t have content types, it’s a pretty difficult task to set up areas of the site that one department can contribute to without having free reign to change everything, particularly if you want to ensure that public website navigation doesn’t simply reflect your departmental structures. If you have structured content that doesn’t require editorial intervention (press releases, jobs, events, etc.) you can simply assign ownership of these content types to internal teams without compromising the editorial quality of your overall website.

If you’re struggling with findability or devolving ownership of content on your site, there’s a good chance that it’s because you’re lacking the structure to cope with the increasing size and complexity of your site content. Revisiting your defined content types could well be a good place to start.