CMS Portal (Legacy)
The first VTEX storefront technology for building ecommerce websites with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
CMS Portal (Legacy) is no longer available for newly created VTEX stores. If your store currently uses this technology, we strongly recommend migrating to Store Framework.
CMS Portal (Legacy) is the original VTEX storefront technology for building ecommerce websites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Code management is done exclusively through the VTEX Admin, using the Layout feature to create and manage templates, folders, and files.
CMS Portal (Legacy) has the following characteristics:
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Admin-based management | Code management is done exclusively through the VTEX Admin, without the need for local development tools or version control systems. |
| Template controls | Pre-built controls simplify the implementation of common storefront features like product displays, navigation menus, and search functionality. |
| Direct deployment | Content updates are made directly through the CMS without separate development or staging environments. |
| Layout customization | Customizations are managed by creating, organizing, and editing folders, files, and components within the Layout feature. |
Technologies
To work with CMS Portal (Legacy), you should be familiar with the following technologies:
Quickstart
For stores using CMS Portal (Legacy), the storefront is managed entirely through the VTEX Admin. Follow these steps to get started:
1. Access the Layout feature
- In the VTEX Admin, go to Storefront > Layout.
- This section displays the folder structure containing your store's templates, shelves, and other components.
2) Understand the template structure
Templates are files that contain the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code for your website pages. The Layout feature provides standard templates that you can customize for different page types, such as:
- Homepage
- Product page
- Category page
- Department page
- Search results page
3. Work with template controls
Template controls are pre-built components that add functionality to your storefront. They handle common features like product information, shopping cart, navigation menus, and search functionality. For a comprehensive list of available controls, refer to the List of template controls guide.
4. Configure shelves
Shelves display collections of products on your storefront. You can configure them using specific controls and variables. Learn more about shelf configuration in the Shelf template controls guide.
Support and limitations
CMS Portal (Legacy) provides access to VTEX core commerce services and native template controls. However, as a legacy technology, it has some limitations:
- No CLI support: Unlike FastStore and Store Framework, there's no command-line interface available.
- No development environments: Changes are made directly in production without separate development or staging workspaces.
- Limited modern features: Some newer VTEX features aren't available, including Intelligent Search integration and VTEX IO frontend apps.
- Performance challenges: Outdated technologies make it more difficult to maintain optimal performance, especially with extensive customizations.
For detailed feature availability, see the Getting started with storefront solutions comparison guide.
Next steps
Explore the available resources to help you work with CMS Portal (Legacy) or migrate to a modern storefront solution:
