What a layout actually is
A layout is a pairing: a template that produces the HTML, and a set of named areas that become the fields in the editor. Change the layout and you change both halves at once.
That is why layout is not a cosmetic choice. Two layouts might both produce "a page with a heading and some text", but if one offers a Component Collection and the other only a Richtext area, they support very different kinds of content.
Picking one
Ask what the page needs to do:
- A composed marketing page — several distinct sections in an order you control. Look for a layout with a Component Collection.
- A reading page — mostly prose, possibly with a table of contents. Look for a layout with a large Richtext area.
- A page with a fixed shape — a hero, three columns, a call to action, always in that order. A layout with individually named areas for each slot.
Changing a layout later
You can change a page's layout after the fact, but understand what happens to the content. Areas are matched by name. An area called body in the old layout carries over to an area called body in the new one; an area whose name has no counterpart has nowhere to go.
The content is not destroyed — it stays on the old revision, and you can go back. But the new revision will not show it. Before switching a layout on a page with real content, note which area names exist on both sides.
When no layout fits
Resist the urge to force content into an ill-fitting layout. The usual options, in increasing order of effort:
- Use an existing layout with a Component Collection and build the page from components.
- Ask for a new component to be added to the library — this benefits every page.
- Ask for a new layout. This is a template change and needs a developer and a deploy.