A bit about Git

What is “Git”?

Git is a tool that helps you keep track of changes in your files over time, especially for projects like websites or apps.

Imagine you’re working on a document and saving different versions like filename-final, filename-final-final, or filename-final-v3b. Git does this for you automatically – but in a much cleaner and more powerful way. It records snapshots of your project, so you can always go back to an earlier version if something breaks or you change your mind.

One of the biggest advantages of Git is that it lets multiple people work on the same project at the same time without getting in each other’s way. Everyone can make their own changes, and Git helps combine them safely.

Git also shows you exactly what changed, when it changed, and who made the change. This makes it much easier to understand your project’s history and fix problems if they come up.

What is a “Git-based CMS”?

Our content management system (CMS), CloudCannon, is a Git-based CMS.

Basically, CloudCannon puts a user-friendly interface over all the version-control logic that Git handles - so when you make changes in the live preview editor, behind the scenes you’re actually writing code. Congratulations, you just became a developer!

In addition to the out-of-the-box functionality that CloudCannon provides, we have created a custom-defined editing experience. So if there’s something the editor doesn’t do that you’d like it to, submit a request through the Brand & Creative Guidance form.

What does all this mean for me?

Under normal circumstances, it doesn’t mean anything much different to any other CMS.

You’ll need to become familiar with some Git terms, and our publishing workflow. You may also come across a problem from time to time. If this happens, Git’s priority is to make sure that you can’t break the website, and help resolving your issue is best left to the web team.