> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mayekun.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Content Management in the NodeForgeCMS Admin Panel
> Manage your content lifecycle in NodeForgeCMS: create articles, upload media, set draft or published states, and go live from the admin panel.
The NodeForgeCMS admin panel gives you full control over your site's content without writing a single line of code. From drafting articles to organizing media and managing publication states, everything you need is available through a clean, browser-based interface. This guide walks you through the complete content lifecycle — from logging in for the first time to publishing a polished, multilingual article.
## Accessing the Admin Panel
Open your browser and navigate to your admin URL:
* **Local development:** `http://localhost:4000`
* **Production:** `https://your-admin-domain.com` (or whatever domain you configured during setup)
Enter your admin username and password on the login screen, then click **Sign In**. After a successful login you will land on the dashboard, which gives you a quick overview of recent activity, published content counts, and system status.
The default credentials shipped with NodeForgeCMS are `admin` / `admin123`. Change your password immediately after your first login — navigate to **Account Settings → Change Password** before doing anything else. Leaving default credentials in place is a serious security risk, especially on a publicly accessible server.
## Creating a New Article
NodeForgeCMS organizes all written content as *articles*. Whether you are publishing a blog post, a product page, or a support article, the process is the same.
1. In the left-hand sidebar, click **Articles**.
2. Click the **+ New Article** button in the top-right corner.
3. Fill in the article fields:
* **Title** — the human-readable headline displayed on the page.
* **Body** — the main content area. The rich-text editor supports headings, lists, links, bold/italic formatting, and inline images.
* **Meta Title / Meta Description** — used by search engines. Keep the meta title under 60 characters and the description under 160 characters.
4. In the **Column** dropdown, assign the article to a content column (e.g., *News*, *Products*, *Support*). Columns control where the article appears in your site navigation. See [Column Management](/guides/column-management) for details.
5. Select the **Language** for this article from the language selector. If you have multiple languages enabled, each language version is stored as a separate entry.
6. Set the publication status:
* Choose **Draft** to save the article privately while you continue working on it.
* Choose **Published** to make it immediately visible on the public site.
7. Click **Save** (or **Publish** if you are ready to go live).
## Editing Existing Content
1. Navigate to **Articles** in the sidebar.
2. Use the search bar or scroll through the list to find the article you want to update.
3. Click the article title or the **Edit** (pencil) icon on the right side of the row.
4. Make your changes in the editor.
5. Click **Save Changes**. If the article was already published, the updated version goes live immediately.
> **Tip:** Use the search bar and column/language filters at the top of the article list to quickly locate content on large sites with hundreds of entries.
## Managing Media and Images
NodeForgeCMS includes a built-in media library for uploading and organizing images and files.
**Uploading a new image:**
1. Click **Media Library** in the sidebar.
2. Click **Upload** and select one or more files from your computer. Supported formats include JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, and SVG.
3. Once uploaded, the file appears in the library grid with its URL automatically generated.
**Inserting an image into an article:**
1. While editing an article, place your cursor in the body where you want the image to appear.
2. Click the **Image** icon in the rich-text editor toolbar.
3. Select an existing file from the media library, or upload a new one inline.
4. Add alt text describing the image — this is important for accessibility and SEO.
5. Click **Insert**.
You can also drag and drop images directly from your desktop into the article editor body, which uploads and inserts them in one step.
## Publishing Workflow: Draft vs. Published
Every article in NodeForgeCMS lives in one of two states:
| State | Visibility | Use when… |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Draft** | Private — only visible to admin users | You are still writing, waiting for approval, or scheduling future content |
| **Published** | Public — visible to all site visitors | Content is ready and approved for your audience |
To change an article's state at any time, open the article editor, update the **Status** toggle at the top of the form, and click **Save**. You can also bulk-change status by selecting multiple articles in the list view and using the **Actions** dropdown.
There is no separate "unpublish" button — simply switch a published article back to **Draft** to remove it from the public site instantly.
NodeForgeCMS includes AI-powered translation so you can reach global audiences without manually rewriting content for every language. See the [AI Features guide](/guides/ai-features) to learn how to translate articles automatically from within the admin panel.