Introduction

What is SynaptikCMS?

Super lightweight. Super fast. Super simple. Super flexible.

SynaptikCMS is a file-based CMS built from the ground up with a focus on page load speed, SEO, and user-friendliness. No database, no heavy dependencies — content is stored as flat JSON files.

It was coded with a minimalist philosophy and one thing in mind:

Everything you need, nothing you don't.

Which makes it one of the most lightweight CMS on the market. Numerous powerful features packed in just 2Mb.

What's inside?

  • Zero-install setup — extract the ZIP, run install.php, done
  • Flat-file JSON data — split-file architecture, each content item is its own file
  • Built-in i18n — front-end and admin panel, separate locale files
  • Theme system — hooks, filters, partials, live CSS editor, live theme preview
  • Content types — Articles, Pages, Projects (Portfolio)
  • Draft system — manually or autosaved JSON drafts, one-click publish
  • Autosave — save posts automatically every 5 minutes so you never lose content, even after closing a page accidentally
  • Categories and Tags — organize and link your content as you like
  • Image Galleries built-in — add one or more image galleries to your posts, choose between 4 layouts (grid, masonry, justified or carousel)
  • Scheduled publication — delay publishing your post and set a date for automatic later posting
  • Post Preview — see posts in current theme's context before actually saving or publishing
  • Built-in powerful search engine — Ctrl+K overlay, no external dependency
  • Media manager — upload, browse, reorganize with drag & drop, batch-image optimisation
  • Shortcode engine — galleries, TOC, callouts, quotes, buttons, contact form, recent articles/projects
  • SEO built-in — meta tags, Open Graph, JSON-LD schema, canonical URLs, sitemap generator...
  • Backup & Restore — save your database, restore your website content in 1 click
  • Menu Builder — create your optimal navigation menu easily with a custom drag and drop tool
  • CSS Editor — live-edit your current theme's CSS styles
  • Alt Text Assistant — add alt-text and captions to all your gallery images in one place