django CMS documentation¶
Welcome to the django CMS developer documentation.
django CMS is a modern, open-source content management system built on Django, designed to solve complex publishing requirements using simple, composable parts.
This documentation is organised using the Diátaxis framework, which separates learning material, practical guides, conceptual explanations, and technical reference — so you can quickly find the information you need.
If you are looking for editor or administrator documentation, see the django CMS User Guide.
🧭 Choose your path¶
Step-by-step lessons that teach django CMS from installation through building your first project.
Practical, goal-oriented guides for solving specific problems in real projects.
Background, concepts, and architectural decisions explained to help you understand how django CMS works.
Authoritative technical reference for APIs, settings, commands, and internals.
✨ Why django CMS?¶
django CMS is a mature, open-source content management system built on Django. It is designed for projects that require flexibility, long-term stability, and close integration with custom Django applications.
Key features include:
robust internationalisation (i18n) and multi-site support
front-end (and inline) editing that allows editors to work directly on rendered pages
a flexible placeholder and plugin system for composing reusable content components
integration with multiple rich-text editors
support for content versioning, editorial workflows, and headless setups through official add-on packages
Compared to other Django-based CMS platforms, django CMS stands out for:
a small, stable core that integrates cleanly into existing Django projects
non-monolithic architecture that allows incremental adoption
thorough, structured documentation organised using the Diátaxis framework
an active, long-running open-source community
an emphasis on code quality, testing, and long-term support
🤝 Community & contribution¶
django CMS is developed and maintained by an open community. Participation is welcome at every level, from asking questions to improving documentation or contributing code.
Join the Discord server to ask questions and talk with other django CMS users and contributors.
Documentation improvements — including small fixes — are one of the easiest ways to contribute.
Learn more about the people and organisations behind django CMS.
📦 Versions, compatibility & support¶
This documentation refers to django CMS version 5.1.0a1.
django CMS follows Django’s long-term support (LTS) policy and provides aligned LTS releases.
Current LTS versions¶
django CMS |
Feature freeze |
Django |
End of long-term support |
|---|---|---|---|
x.x.x |
February 2027 |
6.2 |
March 2030 |
5.0.x |
February 2025 |
5.2 |
March 2028 |
After feature freeze, new features are developed for the next major django CMS release.
Unsupported LTS versions¶
The following LTS versions are no longer supported:
django CMS |
Feature freeze |
Django |
End of long-term support |
|---|---|---|---|
4.1.x |
September 2023 |
4.2 |
March 2026 |
3.11.x |
September 2023 |
3.2 |
March 2024 |
3.11.x |
September 2023 |
4.2 |
March 2026 |
3.8.x |
October 2020 |
2.2 |
March 2022 |
3.7.x |
June 2020 |
2.2 |
March 2022 |
Django / Python compatibility¶
LTS indicates a Django and django CMS combination covered by long-term support.
✓ means tested and supported. × means untested or incompatible.
Django CMS |
Python |
Django |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3.14 |
3.13 |
3.12 |
3.11 |
3.10 |
3.9 |
6.0 |
5.2 |
5.1 |
5.0 |
4.2 |
|
5.1.x |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
× |
✓ |
✓ |
× |
× |
× |
5.0.x |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
LTS |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
4.1.x |
× |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
× |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
LTS |
3.11.x |
× |
× |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
× |
× |
✓ |
✓ |
LTS |
For dependency details, see the project’s pyproject.toml or the
Release notes & upgrade information.
The Commonly Used Plugin section lists additional packages commonly used in django CMS projects.