decide how content goes live
CMS mode
CMS mode publishes approved articles straight to your existing CMS. See the workflow, supported platforms, connection methods, draft or live policy and limits.
What CMS mode does#
In CMS mode PilotDeck creates each approved article directly in your content management system through its API, so you no longer copy and paste. Your site stays where it is. The card reads Connect your CMS: technical fixes and new pages stay guided, so you apply those yourself.
Keep your site where it is
No migration. PilotDeck publishes into the CMS you already use.
Automatic publishing
Approve a draft and it is created in your CMS, or let scheduled publishing release it.
You choose draft or live
Send posts to the CMS as drafts, or publish them live straight away.
Before you start#
| You need | Details |
|---|---|
| A supported CMS, or a webhook endpoint | See Supported platforms. |
| One credential for it | An API key, an integration key or an OAuth sign-in, depending on the platform. Each platform has its own setup guide. |
| Permission to change integrations in PilotDeck | Without it the connect form and the Test and Disconnect buttons are unavailable. |
| CMS mode switched on | Open Settings > Publishing and choose Connect your CMS. A Connect a CMS shortcut appears on the card until a CMS is connected. |
Overview#
- 1Switch to CMS mode and connect your CMSYou
- 2PilotDeck checks the connection and stores it encryptedPilotDeck
- 3PilotDeck writes a draft and sends it to reviewPilotDeck
- 4You approve the draft, or scheduled publishing releases itYou
- 5PilotDeck creates the post in your CMS as a draft or livePilotDeck
- 6The status pill shows Published and links to the live pageVerify
Supported platforms and connection options#
CMS platforms fall into a few types. The connection method depends on the type.
- Self-hosted with a plugin: WordPress.
- Hosted platforms with an API key or token: Ghost, Webflow and Wix.
- Hosted platforms with sign-in or a token: Shopify and Notion.
- Anything that can receive a request: the Webhook connector, which also covers Framer and custom sites.
| Platform | Type | How you connect | Draft support | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress | Self-hosted | The free PilotDeck WordPress plugin gives you one integration key. Needs WordPress 5.6 or later. Free WordPress.com plans are not supported. | Yes | Scheduling, featured image, categories, tags and SEO-plugin fields. |
| Ghost | Hosted or self-hosted | Your Ghost API URL and an Admin API key. | Yes | Tags only. Categories are merged into tags. |
| Webflow | Hosted, collection based | A Site API token. PilotDeck finds your collection and maps its fields. | Yes | Category and SEO fields depend on your collection. |
| Wix | Hosted | An API key and your site ID. | Yes | Body is converted to Wix's rich content format. |
| Shopify | Hosted store | Sign in with Shopify, or a custom app admin token. | Yes | Posts to your store's blog. Tags only. |
| Notion | Flexible database | Sign in with Notion, or an internal integration token. | No | Creates a page in a database. No SEO fields. |
| Webhook | Any stack | A URL you provide. PilotDeck sends a signed JSON POST and shows the signing secret once. | No | For custom sites. Includes FAQ and structured data. |
| Framer | Through the Webhook connector | Use the Webhook connector. | No | Not a native connector. |
Draft or live#
Each connection has a publish policy that you can change at any time from the connected card.
| Policy | What it does | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Draft only | The post is created as a draft in your CMS. You release it there. | PilotDeck still shows the article as published, so go live in your CMS yourself. |
| Publish live | The post goes live as soon as it is created. | There is no rollback to draft. To take it down, remove the post in your CMS. |
Notion and the Webhook connector do not support drafts, so articles are delivered as they are.
Deploy status and retries#
| Status | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Queued | The publish request is waiting to run. | Nothing. |
| Deploying | PilotDeck is sending the article to your CMS. | Wait a moment. |
| Published | The post exists in your CMS. A View live link opens it. | Check the page. |
| Deploy failed | The CMS did not accept it. The reason is shown. | Fix the cause, then click Retry. |
If your CMS rejects the credential, the connection moves to a needs-reconnect state and the site owner is emailed. Reconnect it from Settings > Integrations. If your CMS is rate limiting requests, PilotDeck tells you to wait a moment and try again.
Benefits#
- No copy and paste. Approved articles appear in your CMS on their own.
- No migration. Your editors, theme and workflow stay as they are.
- A familiar place to review. Use Draft only to look at each post in your CMS first.
- Wide coverage. Six native platforms plus a webhook for everything else.
Limitations#
- Fixes and new pages are guided. PilotDeck tells you what to change, and you apply it. Only Clone mode applies them for you.
- One CMS per site. The card connects a single platform at a time.
- New post every time. There is no update in place, so a retry can duplicate.
- Platform differences. Some platforms accept tags but not categories, and Notion and the Webhook connector have no SEO fields or drafts.
- Publish live cannot be undone from PilotDeck.
Frequently asked questions#
I switched to CMS mode and nothing publishes.
A CMS must be connected first. The card shows No CMS connected yet until it is. Click Connect a CMS.
The article shows as published but is not live on my site.
Your connection is on Draft only. Open the post in your CMS and publish it, or change the policy to Publish live.
The status says Deploy failed.
Read the reason on the pill, fix it, and click Retry. Check your CMS for a duplicate first.
Which mode removes manual work for fixes too?
Clone mode applies technical fixes and new pages for you. See Choose a publish mode.