Backend Layouts in TYPO3 – Glossary

TYPO3 backend layouts

With TYPO3, you can create custom backend layouts to make editing your website easy. You can set up different sections for your pages, like headers, content areas, and footers. This helps your team see exactly where to put text, images, and other content. It’s a great way to keep everything organized and ensure your site looks just how you want it!

Backend layouts define which columns and areas a page has in the backend. Instead of an unstructured field, editors see, for example, a header area, a main column, a sidebar and a footer area and know immediately where content belongs. The arrangement in the backend thus matches the later appearance in the frontend.

Backend layouts are configured via TypoScript or as records. They define rows and columns as well as names that are shown to editors. Each column can be given rules, such as which content elements are allowed. This helps avoid mistakes, for instance when a banner may only appear in the header area.

In the page tree, editors choose the suitable layout per page or inherit it from parent pages. This keeps structure and design consistent, even on large websites with many staff. New pages start with the right structure from the beginning.

Plan layouts to match your page types: home page, article, product page, landing page. A few clearly named layouts are better than many similar ones. We develop a system with you that supports editorial and design equally.

A practical example: for blog articles you define a layout with a header area, main text and a column for related posts, for landing pages one with several wide sections. Editors then no longer need to think about how to arrange content but fill predefined areas. This saves coordination, avoids design breaks and noticeably speeds up the publication of new pages.

Briefly document your layouts in the editorial manual so that everyone knows what each one is meant for.