Can I remove the CMS from the Webflow template I purchased in order to use basic hosting instead? I'm unable to delete the collections for it.
TL;DR
- Identify and remove all CMS references including Collection Pages, Lists, and bindings in symbols or page settings.
- Once no CMS elements remain, delete all Collections from the CMS panel, then switch to Basic Hosting via Project Settings.
You can use Basic Hosting with a Webflow template, but you must first remove all CMS features, including Collections. Webflow, however, doesn't allow deletion of CMS Collections that are still in use.
1. Understand Basic vs CMS Hosting
- Basic Hosting does not support CMS content (Collections and dynamic pages).
- To use Basic Hosting, your site must be 100% static — no CMS Collections, no Collection Pages, and no Collection Lists.
2. Identify Connected CMS Elements
- Collections can only be deleted when they are not used anywhere in your project.
- Look for collections used in:
- Collection Pages
- Collection Lists on static pages
- Page bindings (like having a background image dynamically set from a Collection field)
- Symbols or components that reference CMS content
3. Remove Connected CMS Elements
- Delete all Collection Lists from designer pages.
- Delete or convert all Collection Pages into static pages (you may need to manually rebuild them).
- In the Navigator, check for any elements that mention Collection List Wrapper.
- Inspect all Symbols, Custom Code, or Page settings that might bind to CMS content.
4. Delete the Collections
- Once all CMS references are removed:
- Go to CMS panel (Collections tab)
- Hover over a collection and click the trash bin icon to delete it.
- Repeat for each Collection in the project.
5. Switch to Basic Hosting
- After all Collections are deleted:
- Go to Project Settings > Hosting
- Select the Basic Hosting plan
Summary
To use Basic Hosting, you must remove all CMS references and Collections first. Identify and delete any Collection Lists, Collection Pages, and CMS bindings, then delete the Collections themselves. After that, you’ll be able to switch to Basic Hosting successfully.
