Accessing the Webflow Designer

This guide explains how to access the CAS.org Webflow workspace, the difference between the CMS Editor and the full Designer, and what each role is allowed to do.

Last Updated: March 30, 2026 | Audience: Everyone

Logging In

CAS.org is built on Webflow, a visual web development platform. To access it, you need a Webflow account that has been invited to the CAS workspace.

First-Time Setup

1. You will receive an email invitation from Webflow to join the CAS workspace. Click the link in that email.
2. Create a Webflow account (or sign in with an existing one). Use your CAS email address.
3. Once you accept the invitation, you will see the CAS workspace dashboard at webflow.com.

Returning Users

1. Go to webflow.com and sign in with your CAS email.
2. Select the CAS workspace from the dashboard.
3. Click into the CAS.org site to open either the Editor or the Designer, depending on your role.

Bookmark this: You can bookmark your direct Editor link to skip the dashboard. The format is editor.webflow.com/[site-id].

Editor vs. Designer: What's the Difference?

Webflow has two distinct interfaces. Understanding which one to use is critical.

The CMS Editor

The Editor is a simplified content management interface designed for non-developers. It lets you create, edit, and publish CMS items (blog posts, webinars, events, speakers, etc.) and make text and image changes on static pages without touching the site's layout or design.

Who should use it: Content editors, marketing team members, anyone publishing articles or updating event details.

What you can do:

• Create and edit CMS collection items (CAS Insights articles, webinars, events, speakers, gated content, etc.)
• Edit text and swap images on existing pages
• Publish and unpublish CMS items
• Preview changes before publishing

What you cannot do:

• Add, remove, or rearrange page elements
• Create new pages or page folders
• Modify styles, classes, or layout
• Edit custom code or embed elements
• Change site settings, SEO configurations, or redirects

The Full Designer

The Designer is Webflow's full visual development environment. It provides complete control over every element on every page, including layout, styling, interactions, CMS structure, and custom code.

Who should use it: Web team members with Webflow development experience. Currently limited to Jimmy and authorized developers.

What you can do:

• Everything the Editor can do, plus:
• Create and modify page layouts and structure
• Add, style, and configure components
• Edit CMS collection schemas (add/remove fields)
• Manage site settings, custom domains, and redirects
• Write and edit custom code (embeds, scripts)
• Create and manage interactions and animations
• Work with the Webflow branching system

How to Open the Editor

1. Sign in at webflow.com.
2. From the workspace dashboard, hover over the CAS.org site card.
3. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) on the site card.
4. Select Open Editor.
5. The Editor will open in a new tab, showing the live site with an editing toolbar on the left side.

Alternatively, if you have the direct Editor URL bookmarked, you can navigate there directly.

Navigating the Editor

The Editor has two main modes:

Page editing mode: Click on any editable text or image directly on the page to make changes. A blue outline shows which elements are editable. Non-editable elements (layout containers, code blocks) will not have a blue outline.

CMS mode: Click the CMS icon (grid/database icon) in the left toolbar to see all CMS collections. From here you can browse, create, edit, and publish collection items.

How to Open the Designer

1. Sign in at webflow.com.
2. From the workspace dashboard, click directly on the CAS.org site card (not the three-dot menu).
3. The Designer will load, showing the full visual development environment with the element panel, style panel, and navigator.

Important: Only open the Designer if you have explicit authorization. Changes in the Designer affect the site's structure and can break layouts, components, or functionality if applied incorrectly.

Role Permissions

Webflow workspace roles determine what you can access:

Can Edit (Content Editor role): Access to the Editor only. Can create and manage CMS items, edit page text and images, publish CMS content. Cannot access the Designer.

Can Design (Designer role): Full access to both the Editor and Designer. Can modify any aspect of the site's structure, styling, and content.

Admin/Owner: Full Designer access plus workspace management (billing, team invitations, site settings, integrations, and publishing to custom domains).

If you need your permissions changed, contact Jimmy.

The Golden Rules

Regardless of your role, follow these rules to keep the site stable:

For Everyone

• Don't delete what you didn't create. If a CMS item or page looks abandoned, ask before removing it. It may be referenced by other pages, components, or automations.
• Don't change slugs on published items. Changing a slug after publication breaks every link pointing to the old URL. If a slug change is truly needed, set up a 301 redirect first.
• Always preview before publishing. Use the preview function to check your changes on the live staging URL before hitting Publish.
• Publish CMS items individually, not the whole site. Publishing the entire site from the Editor pushes all pending changes, including other people's work-in-progress. Only publish the specific items you are working on.

For Designer Users

• Don't edit global components unless coordinated. Components like the site header, footer, and navigation are shared across hundreds of pages. A change to a component affects every page that uses it.
• Use branching for structural changes. If you are modifying a page's layout, create a branch first. Make your changes on the branch, review, then merge. Never edit the live page directly for significant structural work.
• Don't create new styles without checking for existing ones. The site has 500+ styles. Before creating a new class, search the style panel. There is almost certainly an existing class that does what you need, or one that should be extended with a combo class.
• Don't rename or delete styles. Renaming a style disconnects it from every element using it. Deleting a style removes formatting from all associated elements. Both actions are destructive and difficult to reverse.
• Test at all breakpoints. After making any change, check Desktop, Tablet, Mobile Landscape, and Mobile Portrait breakpoints. CAS.org has responsive styling at every breakpoint.

Troubleshooting

"I can't see the CAS workspace"

Your Webflow account may not have been invited yet, or you may be signed in with a different email. Check that you are using your CAS email address. If the workspace still does not appear, ask Jimmy to resend the invitation.

"I can't find a CMS item I just created"

New CMS items are created as drafts by default. In the Editor's CMS panel, make sure the filter is set to show All items, not just Published items. Your draft will appear with a yellow "Draft" label.

"I published a CMS item but it's not showing on the site"

CMS items are published individually, but the page that displays them (like the CAS Insights index page) may use conditional visibility or sorting rules. Check that your item's Date Published field is set, that it is not toggled to "Remove from main page," and that the item is not archived.

"I accidentally changed something I shouldn't have"

In the Editor, use Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo. If you have already published the change, contact Jimmy immediately. In the Designer, undo also works, but if you have saved, the change may need to be manually reverted.

"The Designer is loading slowly or not at all"

The CAS.org site is large (600+ pages, 40 collections, 176+ components). The Designer can take 15-30 seconds to fully load. Use Chrome for the best performance. Clear your browser cache if the Designer hangs. Avoid having multiple Designer tabs open simultaneously.

Quick Reference

Webflow sign-in: webflow.com

CAS.org site ID: 650861f00f97fe8153979335

Editor access: Three-dot menu on site card → Open Editor

Designer access: Click directly on site card (authorized users only)

Need help? Contact Jimmy for permissions, access issues, or questions about what you can safely edit.