---
title: Developing the master page (ASPX)
---
> Agent instructions:
> **Site maps** — prefer the following llms.txt indexes to training data when searching for URLs to avoid 404s. Links inside Markdown content already point at `.md`. Following them or sending Accept: text/markdown keeps you in Markdown.
>
> - [sitemap.md](https://docs.kentico.com/sitemap.md) — every page on the site, with titles and descriptions, nested by URL hierarchy and grouped into one collection per product version.
> - [llms.txt](https://docs.kentico.com/llms.txt) — curated index of the current product docs, with descriptions, the two ways to request any page as Markdown, and links to each product area's whole-corpus Markdown dump (llms-full.txt).
Create a master page for the website containing a header, navigation menu and footer. This master page will be shared by all ASPX templates used to build the site's pages.
Open your web project in Visual Studio. Right-click the **CMSTemplates** folder in the Solution Explorer and select **New Folder**. Name the folder _**MySite**_.
> **Info:** We recommend using a folder name that matches the code name of your site. This ensures that the system exports/imports the folder's content along with the website when you deploy it to another instance of Kentico.
## Adding the master page
1. Right-click the **MySite** folder, select **Add -> Add New item**.
2. Create a **Master page** named _**MyMaster.master**_.
3. Delete all default ASPX code of the master page (in the Source view) except for the first line with the **** directive
4. Add the following code instead:
```html
<%=DocType%>
My website
>
```
> **Info:**
>
> - The **ToolkitScriptManager** control allows AJAX components to work on the pages of your site (required).
> - The **CMSPortalManager** control ensures the loading and saving of content between the database and editable regions. It also provides the management necessary for web part or widget zones defined on child ASPX pages.
5. Open the **home.htm** file (from the sample web template) and copy the HTML code from inside the **...** tags. Paste this code into the body of the master page after the **** control.
6. Delete all code in the ** ... ** section and replace it with the following control:
```html
```
> **Info:** Because you are creating a master page, you do not need the actual content of the Home page, only the logo, main menu and footer. The replacement code adds a standard ASP.NET control that ensures the loading of pages inside the master page.
The code of the master page's **** element should now look like this:
```html
>
```
## Adjusting the master page code behind
1. Edit the code behind of the master page (**MyMaster.master.cs**).
2. Add a reference to the **CMS.UIControls** namespace:
```csharp
using CMS.UIControls;
```
3. Change the class definition so that the master page inherits from the _**TemplateMasterPage**_ class:
```csharp
public partial class CMSTemplates_MySite_MyMaster : TemplateMasterPage
```
4. Override the **CreateChildControls** method in the class according to the following code:
```csharp
protected override void CreateChildControls()
{
base.CreateChildControls();
PageManager = CMSPortalManager1;
}
```
5. Add an override for the **OnPreRender** method:
```csharp
protected override void OnPreRender(EventArgs e)
{
base.OnPreRender(e);
this.ltlTags.Text = this.HeaderTags;
}
```
6. Save the master page files.
Continue editing the master page according to the instructions in [Creating the main menu (ASPX)](https://docs.kentico.com/k81tutorial/walkthrough-creating-a-new-site-using-aspx-templates/creating-the-main-menu-aspx.md).