---
title: Understand how Xperience stores digital content
---

> 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).

## Understand how Xperience stores digital content

In Xperience, all content is based on **content types**. You already know that a [content type](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/developers-and-admins/development/content-types.md) is a _blueprint_ that defines _data structure, functionality, and behavior_ for all content items editors create from this type. Based on this definition, reusing content requires storing it in a presentation-independent manner, i.e., in a structured format.

Xperience uses different content types depending on the purpose. Each has its own storage options and ways of connecting to other stored content.

- **Reusable content type** – Stores data in the [Content hub](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/business-users/content-hub.md). This content isn't tied to any specific channel. Editors can reuse it across multiple channels, such as websites, emails, or headless applications.
- **Webpage content type** – Used in the [website channel](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/business-users/website-content.md). _Web pages_ can store data directly or act as a container displaying reusable content from the _Content hub_ (or a combination of these approaches).
- **Email content type** – Used in the [email channel](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/developers-and-admins/digital-marketing-setup/email-channel-management.md). Emails can store data directly or display data from _webpages_ or _reusable items_ stored in the _Content hub_.
- **Headless content type** – Used in the [headless channel](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/developers-and-admins/configuration/headless-channel-management.md). Headless items can store data directly in the headless channel or display _reusable content_ from the _Content hub_.

We'll discuss each of the options further in this and other dedicated materials. The following diagram overviews the storage options in Xperience.

![Levels of abstraction in data storage and data presentation](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/modules/understand-storing-data-in-content-type/cm-guide-store-content-objects.png "Levels of abstraction in data storage and data presentation")

The diagram illustrates how content exists within the Xperience content management ecosystem, how it is created, organized, and delivered to different channels.

Any data is stored in a _database_. The _Content type_ layer above the database defines the structure and data fields for every content object. Each content object can represent a different entity in content reuse, such as reusable content, website pages, emails, or headless content.

In Xperience, these entities are accessible through different applications. The _Content hub_ application is a central repository for all reusable, channel-agnostic content. Delivery channels that display content are represented by dedicated applications, including website channels and microchannels with content limits, email channels, and headless channels for mobile apps or kiosks.

You can see how content objects feed into each channel and how structured content flows from the database through content types into content objects, and finally into the various output channels.

### Content types from the data perspective

[Content types](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/developers-and-admins/development/content-types.md) that store data in a _structured format_ allow editors to create items in a form-like interface where they input data. The editing forms create a unified editing experience, and adding content in the _Content hub_ feels like filling out an online form. From a [data perspective](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/developers-and-admins/api/content-item-api/content-item-database-structure.md), these fields correspond to database columns. Developers define content types in the  **Content types**  application.

When developers create content types, they configure:

- _Fields_ that define the data structure of the content type.
- _Editing form layout_ that creates the interface editors use to create and modify the content items.
- _Usage_ of the content type:
  - Reusable content types are building blocks of reusable content meant to be linked together to form further content.
  - Content types for pages are used in website channels to form pages.
  - Content types for email are used in email channels to form emails.

Developers use the **Content types** application to define the [data model](https://docs.kentico.com/modules/content-modeling-guide/structured-and-unstructured-content.md) of the Xperience application. They create _content types_ based on the project's business requirements using an easy-to-use admin UI consisting of form fields or ready-made form components.

![Managing content type fields](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/modules/understand-storing-data-in-content-type/cm-guide-content-types-application-ui.png "Managing content type fields")

Each content type field is defined through the admin configuration screen. The field definition interface is presented in a long, vertically stacked layout, starting with the field’s name, field type, and indicators indicating whether the field is required.

Below are multiple sections with grouped settings, such as general field settings, appearance options, form component configuration, validation rules, visibility conditions, and [AIRA-related](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/business-users/aira.md) options. Each section contains labeled text boxes, dropdown menus, toggles, and helper icons arranged in a clean, single‑column format.

Overall, you can see a structured, form‑based administrative UI that lets you adjust how a field behaves, appears, and validates within the system, presented as a sequential list of configuration options.

The _content type_ with its fields is stored in a coupled database table; its fields represent database columns. For example, Kbank's _News_  content type can have a coupled table named  _Kbank\_News_ and columns defined as _NewsTitle_, _NewsSummary_, or _NewsText_.