Creating a website that’s both dynamic and easy to update can be a game-changer, especially for beginners. Wix, a popular website builder, offers a powerful feature called Dynamic Pages that lets you create template-driven pages powered by your own database content. This tutorial will guide you through setting up dynamic pages step-by-step, even if you’re new to Wix or web development.
What Are Wix Dynamic Pages?
Dynamic Pages are template pages connected to a database (called a collection in Wix). Instead of manually creating hundreds of pages, wix dynamic pages tutorial you design a single template that automatically populates with data from your collection. For example, if you’re building a real estate site, you create one dynamic listing page that displays individual property details based on the database entry clicked.
Step 1: Set Up Your Wix Site and Enable Developer Mode
Before diving into dynamic pages, ensure you have a Wix account and a site created. Log in and open your site editor. To access dynamic page functionality, turn on Developer Mode (Velo by Wix):
Click on the “Dev Mode” toggle at the top menu and activate it.
This unlocks database collections, dynamic page options, and advanced coding capabilities (optional).
Step 2: Create a Database Collection
Your dynamic pages pull information from a database collection. Let’s create one:
Click on the Content Manager icon in the sidebar.
Choose Add New Collection.
Name your collection (e.g., “Products,” “BlogPosts,” “Events”).
Define fields for your data, such as Title, Description, Image, Price, Date, or any custom fields your site needs.
Fill in some sample data directly in the collection to test dynamic pages later.
Step 3: Build Your Dynamic Page Template
Next, create the page that will serve as the template for all items in your collection:
Go to the Pages menu and click + Add Page.
Select Dynamic Page.
Connect the page to your collection by selecting it from the list.
Wix will create a dynamic URL structure like
/products/{productID}
.
Design your page layout by adding text boxes, images, buttons, and other elements.
Bind these elements to your database fields. For example, link a text box to the Title field or an image element to the Image field. To do this, click on an element, select “Connect to Data,” then choose the appropriate dataset field.
Step 4: Set Up Dataset and Connect Elements
Datasets are the bridge between your page and your collection:
Add a Dataset from the Add (+) panel.
Connect the dataset to your collection.
Set the dataset mode to “Read-only” for displaying data.
Make sure your dynamic page is properly connected to the dataset so when you visit different URLs, content changes based on the item ID.
Step 5: Test Your Dynamic Pages
Preview your site and test the dynamic pages:
Use URLs with different item IDs to see your template populated with various data.
For example, if your dynamic URL is
/products/{productID}
, try/products/1
or/products/2
to verify content updates.
Make sure all elements display the correct information from the database.
Step 6: Publish and Update
Once satisfied with your dynamic pages, publish your site. You can now add or edit content within your collection anytime without manually editing individual pages. This makes managing large websites with lots of entries much easier.
Final Tips
Use clear field names in your database to stay organized.
Customize your dynamic page design to maintain consistent branding.
Experiment with filters and sorting in datasets to refine what visitors see.
Utilize Wix’s built-in SEO tools to optimize dynamic pages for search engines.
Dynamic Pages empower beginners to build scalable, content-rich websites with ease. Follow these steps, and you’ll be able to create impressive, automatically generated pages that keep your site fresh and engaging.