FAQ / Best practices

• How to change field type?
• How to import content from another CMS?
• How to find a Contentful developer?
• How to reduce the loading time of my website?
• Can records be shared between spaces/organizations?
• Can I embed the Contentful web app as an iframe?
• How to handle tables in Rich Text field?
• How to generate a HAR file for troubleshooting?

How to change field type?

In some cases, you might need to change a field from one type to another, for example, from "short text" to "long text". As it is not directly possible to change a field type, a migration will be needed. You could conceivably do the following:

1. Create a new, temporary field with a random field ID

2. Use transformEntries to copy the field contents to the new field

3. Delete the original field

4. Create a new long text field with the same ID as the now-deleted field

5. Transform the entries again to copy the field contents over

6. Delete the temporary field

How to import content from another CMS?

We recommend the following steps:

1. Export your data from the existing source

2. Format the data programmatically to what your content model accepts

• The files should be converted to JSON format

• It would be beneficial to create a content model and some dummy content in a test space, then use the export tool to generate a JSON dump of it. Inspecting that JSON will provide insights into the data structure, which will help develop the custom parser.

3. Import the data to Contentful using the import tool or via Content Management API client libraries by creating and publishing each entry iteratively.

How to find a Contentful developer?

1. Check out the list of partners available on our website: All partners listed on this page have verified client references and in-house Contentful experts.

2. Post in Contentful Community: You can post here and some Contentful customers might make recommendations. Please note that references will not be verified from Contentful's end.

How to reduce the loading time of my website?

We recommend leverage on Contentful's global CDN, so you will not need to create and maintain your caching layer. Decreasing load time is also best achieved with proper content modeling, API query structure, and system architecture design.

Can records be shared between spaces/organizations?

No, currently it is not possible to reference entries/assets from other spaces/organizations.

Can I embed the Contentful web app as an iframe?

This is not possible respecting the X-Frame-Options HTTP response header, the web app will always send this header with a value of DENY in the response. This behavior is in place to prevent clickjacking and unfortunately cannot be changed.

How to handle tables in Rich Text field?

We recommend using an embedded entry, on that embedded entry you can have multiple strategies to have the table content: If it's static content, use markdown field with the table; If it's dynamic content, then use a multiple reference field having references to each row of the table. In your application, you could create a custom renderer for that type of embedded entry that renders the content as tables.

How to generate a HAR file for troubleshooting?

Our customer support team may need additional information about the network requests generated in your browser when an issue occurs, in this case, they may request you to generate a HAR (HTTP Archive) file for further troubleshooting. 

Please note that HAR files contain sensitive data. While recording, the following information is captured: the content of the pages you downloaded, your cookies, the information that you submitted (personal details, passwords, credit card numbers, etc.).

Below are some instructions about generating a HAR file using different browsers.

Chrome:

1. Click the Menu button (vertical ellipsis button) and select More Tools > Developer tools.

2. Click on the Network tab

3. Look for a round button at the top left of the Network tab. Make sure it's red. If it's grey, click it once to start recording.

4. Check the box Preserve log.

5. Click the Clear button to remove the existing logs.

6. Reproduce the issue.

7. Click the Export HAR button and save the file.

Edge:

1. Click the Menu button (horizontal ellipsis button) and select More Tools > Developer tools.

2. Open the Network tab.

3. Look for a round button at the top left of the Network tab. Make sure it's red. If it's grey, click it once to start recording.

4. Check the box Preserve log.

5. Reproduce the issue.

6. Save the capture by right-clicking on the grid and choosing Save all as HAR with Content.

Firefox:

1. Click the Menu button (horizontal parallel lines) and select More Tools > Web Developer Tools.

2. Click on the Network tab.

3. Click on the Settings button (gear icon) and turn on Preserve log.

4. Reproduce the issue.

5. Save the capture by right-clicking on the grid and choosing Save All as HAR.

Safari:

1. Look for the Develop menu. Make sure you can see it. If it is not visible, enable it by following this guide Use the developer tools in the Develop menu in Safari on Mac.

2. Click on the Develop menu and select Show Web Inspector.

3. Click on the Network tab.

4. Check the box Preserve log.

5. Reproduce the issue.

6. Click Export and save the file.